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NHS staff have come together to cast their thumbprint for an artwork project set to be displayed at RHS Chelsea Flower Show this May.

Patients, families, and friends were asked to contribute to the National Spinal Injuries Centre’s (NSIC) design.

Horatio’s Garden in Stoke Mandeville is one of many taking part in a national campaign being collected by local ceramicist Sophie Smith.

Zoey Pullar, lead nurse for the NSIC, Natalie Eggleton, NHS Staff member, and Amy Moffett, head gardener of Horatio’s Garden Stoke Mandeville, casting their thumbprints in the charity’s garden for Horatio’s Garden Chelsea

Work will be displayed in the woodland room within Horatio’s Garden in Chelsea. Charlotte Harris and Hugo Bugg are collating the displays which will be on show at the world famous flower show.

Imprints were cast by patients, NHS staff, volunteers and the charity’s staff alike, including lead nurse for the NSIC, Zoey Pullar, and head gardener of Horatio’s Garden Stoke Mandeville, Amy Moffett.

They follow the casting of the first thumbprint in earlier this year by the charity’s patron, Princess Eugenie.

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All the thumbprints will now be fired and glazed, before heading over to Chelsea.

Amy Moffett, head gardener of Horatio’s Garden Stoke Mandeville said: “It’s wonderful to have a creative project that everyone can be involved in – patients, visitors, staff and volunteers – all together! Everyone is getting very excited about having their unique thumbprint displayed as part of the first ever Horatio’s Garden show garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show on Main Avenue.

"This is such a thoughtful and inclusive way of making everyone feel part of this inspiring event and it’s getting everyone talking, spreading the word about Horatio’s Garden and what a positive difference these gardens make for so many people.”

On completion the garden display should represent the antithesis of a busy, clinical hospital environment, and will be designed to reconnect spinal patients with nature.

Dr Olivia Chapple, Founder and Chair of Trustees of Horatio’s Garden added: “This is a wonderful initiative by designers Harris Bugg Studio in collaboration with architect Andrew Mcmullan that will tell the powerful story of the many hands involved in caring for beneficiaries of Horatio’s Garden.”

Horatio’s Garden in Stoke Mandeville opened in September 2018 and forms part of the NSIC.

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