Carlisle Healthcare

The raised beds at Carlisle Healthcare’s Eastern Way site have been transformed from an overgrown, unused space into a thriving community garden that supports patient wellbeing and brings local people together. Led by staff members Catherine Gosson‑Low and Debbie Docherty, the project has turned the large planters into an accessible kitchen‑garden area where herbs, fruit and vegetables are grown around newly created wildlife habitats. The transformation has been supported by Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Groundwork, Incredible Edible, local allotment volunteers, Barnardo’s young people and Brownies groups, all contributing skills, planting and materials. The garden now offers patients, visitors and the wider community a welcoming outdoor space that encourages connection with nature and shows how even small pockets of land can become valuable community assets.