A Shropshire landscaping company has started building a community garden for children at a hospital.

Butler Landscapes, based in Tern Hill, Market Drayton, began work on the project at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital (RJAH) in Gobowen on September 9.

The garden, which will be around 500 square metres, is expected to take around eight weeks to complete.

The project is part of the 'Garden for Alice' fundraising appeal, which aims to create an outdoor garden for paediatric patients and their families at the hospital.

The Alice Ward, the children's unit at the hospital, provides specialist advice, diagnosis, and treatment for children aged 0-18 years with bone, joint, and muscular disorders.

The garden is intended to be a private, safe, and stimulating environment that promotes health and wellbeing.

It will also offer a calming escape from the hospital environment for long-term and returning patients.

The design for the garden was originally created by 17-year-old volunteer Olivia Copley in 2021, after consultation with patients and staff.

The architects, Awscapes, developed this design, and Butler Landscapes was chosen as the contractor after a tender process in April.

To date, nearly £200,000 has been raised for the project, allowing for the landscaping and infrastructure, as well as a glass building for patients to undertake school work or play sessions all year round.

However, further funding is still required for play equipment, plants, tools, and extras to complete the garden.

Sharon Butler, director of Butler Landscapes, said: "We are very much hoping that Alice Garden will provide the young people being treated at RJAH with a similarly uplifting experience.

"The more money that is raised, the more the final project will be able to deliver.

"We are so delighted to be working alongside the RJAH Hospital again."

Paul Butler, director at Butler Landscapes, said: "We are really honoured to work on projects like this as we want to be more involved with special spaces for people, and projects that can improve people’s physical and mental health.

"As the main contractor, we feel really proud to have been trusted with this project.

"We always go the extra mile for our customers."

Michael Bowen, capital manager at RJAH, said: "We are thrilled to be working with Butler Landscapes, who, with their experience in building Horatio’s Garden at our site, bring an understanding and appreciation of our unique environment.

"We are confident that they will create a wonderful, healing space for our children and families to enjoy.

"The success of this project would not be possible without the dedicated fundraising efforts and generous contributions from our supporters, and we look forward to seeing the Alice Garden flourish as a testament to our community’s commitment to enhancing patient care at RJAH."

Butler Landscapes has won multiple Royal Horticultural Society Gold Medals and is a leading specialist in all aspects of garden design, landscape construction, and garden maintenance.

Five years ago, they were also chosen to implement the planting scheme at Horatio’s Garden Midlands at the same hospital.

Anyone wishing to donate to the project under the RJAH Charity can do so via the Just Giving page at justgiving.com/campaign/gardenforalice.

For more information on Butler Landscapes, visit butler-landscapes.co.uk, email info@butler-landscapes.co.uk, or call 01948 880000.