Back row (l-r) Allen Gilbert Stroud of Westmade with Trust Sustainability Manager Laura Dale and blue coat Stroke Unit volunteer John Warren.
Front row (l-r) occupational therapist Anna Perrin with stroke patient Ron Farrant and occupational therapist Coral Higgs
Patients on the Stroke Unit at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital have built 10 bird boxes to encourage wild birds to nest in the grounds.
Work started on the boxes during ‘National Nest Box Week’ in February when the building firm ‘Westmade’ in Verwood donated 10 nest box building kits to the hospital’s Stroke Unit to be used for patient therapy.
Because natural nest sites for birds, such as holes in trees or old buildings, are disappearing fast as gardens are ‘tidied’ and old houses are repaired, National Nest Box Week asks those passionate about biodiversity and conservation to put up nest boxes for wild breeding birds.
The kits completed by the hospital’s stroke patients are suitable for robins and blue tits and are now being placed around the hospital grounds.
Recovering stroke patient Ron Farrant was pleased to help build the nest boxes. He said: “I used to be the foreman of a workshop so I’m happy to do it. I’ve received very good treatment here in the Stroke Unit.”
Stroke Unit occupational therapist, Anna Perrin, said: “We were so pleased to receive the bird box kits from Westmade. Every day in the Stroke Unit we have a programme of activities to help our patients re-build their confidence and develop skills they may have lost owing to a stroke, such as concentration and balance.
“Using the kits during our therapy sessions provided our patients with a fantastic activity aimed at improving their ability to function independently, whilst helping the environment.”
For more information about the Stroke Unit at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, visit www.rbch.nhs.uk .
