A FUNDRAISING campaign has been launched to create a 'Garden of Hope' at one of Shropshire's main hospitals.

Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust (SaTH) charity supporter, Julie Ward, is aiming to design the garden at the entrance of the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford.

The garden will offer a 'perspective of hope' for the future as people approach the hospital.

Julie has been fundraising for the Trust for a number of years, but wanted to do more than just raise money.

"For several years I had planned on creating a thank you to the Princess Royal Hospital," she said.

"In 2018 I brought 10 ducks to Telford for 'Let's Go Quackers' – an art trail bringing communities together and thousands of smiles to the borough – and I gifted a 'Let's Go Quackers' piece of artwork to the children's ward, but I knew I wanted to do more than this.

"I am now asking for the public to come together to fundraise for this symbol of our continuous hope, which will include a garden area to sit and reflect, to remember and look to the future."

Julia Clarke, director of Public Participation at SaTH, added: "We are grateful to Julie and her ambitious plans to fundraise and install the Garden of Hope.

"The public have been overwhelmingly supportive throughout the pandemic, and we are delighted at the offer of a publicly-funded reminder of this support, as well as the opportunity to create a new area for patients and staff to take a break."

The tetrahedron design will be constructed from steel and will rise to over five metres tall.

The apex will feature butterflies – a symbol of metamorphosis, rebirth and resurrection.

At its centre there will be a DNA-style structure, symbolically encapsulating the meaning of life, and it will include the positive icons of the Covid-19 pandemic such as rainbows and hearts.