Teenagers’ work on hospital garden earns top award
FIVE teenagers from Llanelli have scooped a top award from the Prince’s Trust after they transformed a garden at the town’s Prince Philip Hospital.
The Prince’s Trust and TK Maxx Homesense Awards recognise young people who have succeeded against the odds, improved their chances in life and had a positive impact on their local community.
Llanelli youngsters Callum, Ioan, Jessica, Jodie and Levi, who are aged between 17 and 18, volunteered as part of the Prince’s Trust Achieve programme, delivered by Llanelli Rural Council Training (LRC).
The group took the Community Impact Award for Wales, recognising the positive contribution young people make to their community or school while developing their own skills.
The garden at Prince Philip Hospital, which is used by staff and particularly those who were working on the Covid-19 ward over the past two years, was brought back to its former glory by the five teenagers.
They were all aged 16 at the time and took on the challenge to boost their confidence, leadership and teambuilding skills.
The group faced different challenges including mental health and behavioural issues, disengagement from education and a placement in foster care. Some in the group were also struggling to navigate their way through the pandemic and feelings of isolation.
The group came up with the idea to transform the garden area. They wanted to give back to those working on the frontline, offering them a colourful space to relax on their breaks.
Ioan said: “As a group we wanted to help our local hospital, as we know how hard they’d been working through the pandemic.
“We wanted to offer a bright space, based on the NHS rainbow, so we bought colourful flowers.
“We cleared the hedges and discovered two benches hidden underneath, so we painted the benches and weeded the area to make the garden look inviting.
“We had to stick to a budget and agree different tasks and the staff at LRC Training supported us throughout the project.
“They encouraged us if we started to feel overwhelmed and reminded us that we were doing a great job as a team.
“When we started to see the space transform, staff and visitors noticed the changes too and shared positive feedback, it was a great feeling.
“The Hywel Dda Health Board thanked us on social media too, we all bonded, became a team and our confidence grew.
“It was a rewarding experience and we all genuinely believe we made a big difference to our community. The space is a thank you to all the medical staff and we loved working on it.”
The group has progressed in different areas, Ioan is studying to become a mechanical engineer, Levi is aiming to join the Royal Merchant Navy and Callum would like to gain some experience in carpentry.
Jodie has started a college course and Jessica is considering education and training opportunities with support from LRC Training.
On winning the Community Impact Award, Ioan said: “It’s great that our idea and hard work has been recognised with a Prince’s Trust Award.
“It’s hard to believe that a summer of digging, weeding and painting could make such a difference to so many people. I’ll never forget the experience.”