A TEAM of volunteers has breathed new life into an outdoor garden area at a young people's mental health unit.

The volunteers from the national Prince's Trust Team Programme, which is run by Groundwork in Radcliffe, have been working hard over the last few weeks to spruce up a nature area at the Hope and Horizon Unit of Fairfield General Hospital.

An in-patient mental health unit for young people aged 13 to 18, the facility caters for those who are experiencing a range of mental health conditions including eating disorders, depression and self-harm.

Gareth Livsey, Jordan Oxton, Olivia Burrows, and Grace Leah chose the woodland retreat for their community project and spent three weeks planting flowers, fruit and vegetables, sanding and painting woodwork and generally tidying up the gardens. They also transformed a disused pond into a beautiful plating area.

Fiona Goff, an occupational therapist on the unit, said: "On behalf of all the young people and staff on the unit, I’d like to thank the team for all their hard work.

"The Woodland Retreat looks fantastic and has been given a real new lease of life. The young people couldn’t wait to get out there and begin to enjoy the new brighter surroundings and we’re making the most of the last few weeks of summer."

Young people on the unit benefit from access to the outdoor area and tree house, where they can enjoy a range of activities or simply relax and unwind.

But after seeing the area was in need of brightening up, the volunteers chose to take on the task as part of their 12-week scheme.

To celebrate the completion of the refurbishment work, a special event was held on Wednesday, August 12, for which patients on the unit baked cakes and made banners and cards to say thank you.

Debra Madden, team leader for the Groundwork Prince’s Trust Team, said: “We were thrilled to have the opportunity of redeveloping the gardens for the young people at the hospital.

“Prior to starting they raised money to buy flowers and plants by selling cakes to Groundwork staff. It has been a great experience spending time working with the team in the woodland retreat and I have been really proud of the team's hard work and dedication digging, painting and planting in sunshine and showers.

“The experience has highlighted their individual skills, capacity to work with others in the community and their potential to succeed in achieving their goals. We would like to thank all those who have supported us and made this possible.”