Matt Lucas opens new wellbeing garden for Trust staff
Matt Lucas opens new wellbeing garden for Trust staff
07 July 2026
Comedian, actor, TV personality and long-standing NHS supporter, Matt Lucas joined charity and Trust colleagues, donors, partners and supporters to officially open the space earlier today (8th July). He also met staff, patients and visitors at St Mary's Hospital Intensive Care Unit.
The garden has transformed a previously unused courtyard behind Bonney House into a peaceful green sanctuary where staff can reflect and recharge. The garden will primarily support staff accessing CONTACT, the Trust’s counselling and psychological support service. It will host facilitated wellbeing sessions, therapeutic activities and small-group discussions, while also providing a quiet space for reflection and decompression.
The redevelopment of Milne’s Corner was funded by our supporters and forms part of our Green Spaces programme. Designed by Dario Pizzi Garden Design Ltd and built by Gardencraft Surrey Ltd, the space draws inspiration from England's coastal landscapes, and combines naturalistic planting, weathered timber, gravel textures and a calming water feature to create a restorative environment in the heart of the hospital.
Matt Lucas, who has raised significant funds for NHS charities and championed the work of NHS staff over many years, officially opened the garden during a special launch event.
During the opening, Matt Lucas said:
"The NHS is full of extraordinary people who spend their lives caring for others, often in incredibly demanding circumstances. Spaces like Milne's Corner are a reminder that staff wellbeing matters too. I'm delighted to help open this beautiful garden and celebrate everyone who made it possible."
The garden is named in honour of Mary Elisabeth Gordon Milne OBE, St Mary's Hospital's wartime Matron, who led the hospital through some of its most challenging years during and after the Second World War. The space celebrates her legacy of compassion, resilience and dedication to caring for others.
New garden, Milne's Corner
Gail Scott-Spicer, Chief Executive of Imperial Health Charity, said:
"Our Green Spaces programme is about creating places that support the health and wellbeing of the people who care for us every day. Milne's Corner transforms an overlooked corner of St Mary's into a sanctuary where staff can take a moment to pause, reflect and recharge. We are proud to invest in projects like this that have a lasting impact on staff wellbeing."
Fiona Blair, Head of CONTACT and Psychological Wellbeing Lead at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, added:
"Many of the staff we support are dealing with the emotional impact of working in highly pressured healthcare environments. Having access to a calming outdoor space alongside therapeutic support can make a real difference. Milne's Corner will provide an important setting for reflection, recovery and connection, helping staff prioritise their own wellbeing as they continue caring for others."
Milne's Corner is the fourth space created through Imperial Health Charity's Green Spaces programme and the third collaboration with Dario Pizzi Garden Design Ltd. The programme transforms underused hospital spaces into restorative environments that improve the wellbeing of patients, visitors and NHS staff.
Research consistently shows that access to green spaces can improve both mental and physical wellbeing, particularly within busy healthcare environments. We hope Milne's Corner provides staff with a place to pause, recharge and look after their own wellbeing.
Thank you to Dario Pizzi Garden Designs Ltd, Gardencraft Surrey Ltd, CBRE and all our other donors and supporters for making this beautiful space possible.
