A new sensory garden has opened at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary thanks to a team of teenage volunteers.

The garden plan was launched after a member of staff noted that Calderdale was getting one but there was no plan to do one in Huddersfield.

Kirsty Jowett, the hospitals’ Prevention of Delerium Coordinator, arranged for a space by the main drive to be transformed.

She was helped make it a reality when a group of 15 and 16-year-olds on National Citizen Service (NCS) at the infirmary offered their services.

The 14-strong group of youngsters, completing a ‘Community Initiative Project’ over their summer break, also helped with fundraising.

National Citizen Service members in their newly finished patients garden at HRI.

The main focus of their garden is to create a break-away zone for patients, families and staff to come for some peace and tranquillity. Some of Kirsty’s project work is working with patients who have cognitive impairments, so the teens were asked to include butterflies within the art work to help people living with dementia and/or delirium.

Kirsty said: “It is fantastic how much support they’ve generated in such a short space of time.”

The teens also held a bake sale at Huddersfield open market to raise funds to support the garden project.

The hospitals’ Charitable Funds Department donated £1,000.

Some garden items were kindly donated by Halfords’ Colne Valley store and the garden stall at Huddersfield open market.