Originally refurbished by Momentum in 2007, the garden needed a complete overhaul after essential groundwork issues left it looking dull and uninspiring for the families and staff who use it.  

The new garden space includes brightly-coloured murals with Richmond Park and Hampton Court Palace themes which were chosen to help remind the children staying at the hospital of familiar surroundings. As well as the artwork, play equipment has been replaced and now includes a football table and goal, wigwams, a hanging chair, giant games and ride-on toys.  The variety of new equipment aims to appeal to children of all age ranges, encouraging patients to make use of the garden and enjoy the fresh air.

Famous fox, Basil Brush, an Ambassador for Momentum, visited the new garden, where he spent time with patients and even tried out some of the new toys.

Susana Casanova’s son Afonso, 6, is being treated for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia at Kingston Hospital.

Alfonso started his treatment for cancer in 2020, during the Covid pandemic. The garden felt old, dirty, and not the right environment for children to play in. When Afonso heard the garden was going to be re-vamped he was very excited and started listing all the things he wanted in it! The new garden is not only a place for the children, it is a space for parents to be able to sit quietly while their children sleep – it feels like a normal, clean, safe environment for families going through very complex times.”

Sue Stilwell, an Oncology Nurse Specialist at Kingston Hospital said: “We really welcome the new garden.  This area is particularly important for our oncology patients on the ward to help them use play in the garden as part of recovery.  The transformation has provided distraction from the ward and the treatment they may be receiving.”

Bianca Effemey, Founder and CEO of Momentum said: “The garden looks fantastic– what a difference! We are extremely grateful to our funders and to everyone who was involved in the project. It’s now a calm and uplifting space for children to play, whilst also providing a place for patients and hospital staff to have difficult discussions away from the ward. Being able to get outside is not only important for recovery, it has huge mental health benefits too. We hope the new play items will bring fun and laughter for years to come.”

Momentum Children’s Charity is grateful to the many individual supporters who donated towards this project, as well as to James O Brien Trust, the Toy Trust, the D’Oyly Carte Trust, the Generations Foundation and Bayley & Sage.