King’s Mill Hospital planted 4,000 trees when they joined the NHS Forest.
On site, they have a Community Garden which was revitalised by 19 teenage members of the National Citizen Service group in 2019. The group took part in a five-hour fundraising ‘dance-off’ which raised £280 to support the initiative, and the Community Garden is now a natural oasis of calm for use by patients, visitors and staff.
The hospital is fortunate to have a wildlife garden and the Millbrook Pond within its grounds which are also used as outdoor rest and relaxation spaces. The wildlife garden is surrounded by a small woodland, and features a walking trail through the trees, into a meadow which has seating.
King’s Mill has courtyard green spaces, one in which they planted five fruit trees to support the Hope Orchard initiative, and the other linked to the hospital’s Faith Centre. There is also an outdoor children’s play area on the rooftop of the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, where younger patients and supporting family members can take a break from hospital life.
The Climate Action Team, formed by Hospital staff in 2020, has worked collaboratively to form the Hope Orchard, an initiative to link health and the environment. On Monday 22 March 2021, Sherwood Forest Hospitals planted fruit trees on each of their sites (King’s Mill Hospital, Newark Hospital and Mansfield Community Hospital) as part of a commitment to a lower carbon future.
The hospital trust was joined by schools, public sector partners, individuals and the Woodland Trust in planting fruit trees as part of a coordinated day of climate change action. In total, over 60 trees were planted throughout the community. This demonstrated real engagement with cross organisational involvement, as well as from colleagues within the trust, which validates the notion that climate action can be inclusive and promote a shared vision and collaboration across the Integrated Care Systems.
In 2024 they planted a further 150 NHS Forest trees paid for by the Nature for Climate fund.