Ninewells Community Garden is benefiting from a project which aims to improve the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of people living in Tayside.
The NHS Community Benefit Gateway (CBG) serves as a bridge, linking community initiatives with NHS Scotland suppliers who can offer 'in kind' support, ranging from volunteer efforts and work placement opportunities to professional advice and assistance in growing community facilities.
One initiative benefiting from this partnership is the Ninewells Community Garden. After registering its community need on the CBG portal, the charity which runs the garden received invaluable support from NHS suppliers Hewlett Packard (HP) and Ricoh. HP, which supplies IT equipment to NHS Tayside, donated essential resources including plants, shrubs, tools, and planters, which have significantly enhanced the garden. Ricoh, a provider of digital and printing services, contributed to the project by sending staff volunteers to work in the garden as part of its corporate volunteering initiative.
Ninewells Community Garden provides an ideal opportunity for more than 6000 staff and patients from the hospital to experience the beauty, serenity and respite of the garden and the surrounding landscape. The garden is open seven-days-a-week for everyone to enjoy.
The oncology courtyard at Ninewells Hospital and the patio space outside the Dundee Dental Hospital also benefited from the support from the CBG and are now vibrant spaces to allow for calm and tranquillity in a busy work environment.
Naimh O’Loughlin, wellbeing facilitator at Ninewells Community Garden, said, “Thanks to the Community Benefit Gateway, we’ve been able to create a green space for staff and patients to enjoy and a special place for pollinators and wildlife too.
“The Community Benefit Gateway is a great resource for charities and third sector organisations that have a need but don’t have the resource to make it happen.”
Dr Emma Fletcher, NHS Tayside’s Director of Public Health, said, “When suppliers provide support through the Community Benefit Gateway, they are making a tangible difference to local communities throughout Tayside.
“NHS Tayside patients, staff and the local community will benefit from these enhancements to the Ninewells Community Garden, oncology courtyard and Dundee Dental Hospital patio space, which now offer a tranquil environment for all.
“The CBG portal is a free and easy-to-use online system that connects NHS Scotland suppliers with charities across Scotland looking for assistance with community initiatives. It encourages third sector organisations and initiatives to submit their needs through this simple tool.”
For more information about the NHSScotland Community Benefit Gateway visit www.nss.nhs.scot/procurement-and-logistics/sustainability-information-f… or contact tay.communitybenefitgateway@nhs.scot