The Queen officially opened a £650,000 family roof garden at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary on Friday, as she comes to the end of her summer break at Balmoral.
The award-winning Robertson Family Roof Garden, features flower beds and benches, and is designed to aid the recovery of patients at the hospital, by providing them with an open, clean, and quiet area.
Healthcare Chaplain Rev. James Falconer, who pioneered the garden project in 2013, shows Her Majesty around the therapeutic garden. pic.twitter.com/7THkPlwJgH
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 29, 2017
The Queen – wearing a chrysanthemum brooch – chatted to nurses and patients during her visit. Upon her arrival, the Monarch was greeted by Councillor Barney Crockett, Lord Provost and Lord Lieutenant for Aberdeen, and representatives of NHS Grampian including Reverend James Falconer, Healthcare Chaplain and project lead for the garden. The Queen was presented with a pink posy of flowers.
The 91-year-old Monarch, met with the garden’s architect and designers, before viewing the unveiling of a silhouette feature in the garden, and unveiling a plaque to mark the occasion. Reverend Falconer then led a prayer of dedication.
The Queen chats to Paul Breen, a former patient, who was involved with raising the £667,000 needed to create the garden. pic.twitter.com/Jv5xf3Oocw
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 29, 2017
In 2013, the Royal Bank of Canada offered their entire gold medal winning RHS Chelsea Flower Show Garden, designed by Professor Nigel Dunnett, to NHS Grampian. The professor redesigned the garden, to permit a gravely ill patient, in intensive care, to go outside.
The garden – fully accessible to wheelchair users and patients with sensory impairments – was funded entirely by Rev Falconer’s fundraising efforts, successfully raising over £667,000. Individuals, churches, Brownies, Guides, Rotaries and hundreds of other groups also contributed. The hope is that the garden will serve as inspiration to architects designing health facilities in the future, to include ‘green spaces’ in their designs.
Professor Dunnett’s redesign made the garden accessible to all, including patients who are fully ventilated and in intensive care. pic.twitter.com/OAiMMdsizB
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 29, 2017
Her Majesty, who is currently in residence at Balmoral Castle, then visited a Sue Ryder neurological care centre in Aberdeen. The Queen met staff and residents during a tour of the centre.
The centre’s director, Valerie Maxwell, then gave The Queen a brief overview of the work of the care centre, and presented a photography exhibition to the Sovereign, before the Monarch met with members of the appeal board, where she was invited to place a letter inside a time capsule.
Elizabeth II then signed the Dee View Court visitors’ book and an official photograph.
Today we were delighted to welcome HM Queen to #Deeviewcourt Official photos to follow pic.twitter.com/JgABqF5qhH
— Sue Ryder Scotland (@SueRyderScot) September 29, 2017
Sue Ryder was founded in 1953, a year after the second Elizabethan age began, to provide compassionate hospice and neurological care across the country, making the most of its 7 hospices, and 5 neurological care centres.
