MIDLANDS AIR Ambulance Charity (MAAC) is set to debut a medicinal show garden at BBC Gardeners’ World Live, which takes place between June 15 and 17, writes Mia Whitehouse.
The deeply moving plot has been conceived with the help of designers, Helen Swan and Lucy Chapman, and landscaper Rupert Keys, to act as a living tribute to the charity’s lifesaving work and the positive impact it has on patients’ recovery.
Emma Gray, MAAC’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “Our organisation is best known for delivering advanced treatment via our rapid response helicopters and critical care cars, which is why our Medical Garden places emotional recovery at its heart, acknowledging that for many patients, survivors, families, and crew, the impact trauma and medical emergencies have on patients.
“We are exceptionally proud to be part of BBC Gardeners’ World Live this year and look forward to welcoming visitors and supporters in June.”
Creator Helen, who has created award-winning installations for places such as Leeds and Glastonbury Festival, said: “The garden was never about beauty.
“Its about honesty, we have created a space that acknowledges patients trauma, yet also reflects the strength that can be drawn from life-changing experiences and the role nature can play in rebuilding lives.”
Lucy, a fellow designer who is currently completing her Garden Design Diploma at KLC School of Design, said: “For us, the garden reflects not just MAAC’s emergency response, but our understanding of the emotional recovery that follows.
“The feedback we hear from those the service has helped is often about small things, being able to walk again, hearing birdsong, and feeling rooted in life once more.
“The garden embodies this.”
Every detail in the garden reflects the designers’ core sustainable principles – permeable paths, locally sourced soil, stone and clay, reclaimed materials, and resilient planting suited to changing climates.
Rupert has previously been on the BBC Gardeners’ World Live in 2023 for another best show garden.
Following its appearance on the BBC, elements of the garden will be relocated to the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity airbase and charity headquarters in Shifnal, Shropshire.
The BBC Gardeners’ World Live will be at the Birmingham NEC.
To support the charity’s lifesaving work visit: midlandsairambulance.com or follow the charity on social media to join the conversation.
The Midlands Air Ambulance
The Midlands Air Ambulance, which serves the largest air ambulance region in the UK, has a new airbase and headquarters in Shropshire, on the border of Staffordshire and the West Midlands.
It also has other bases at Strensham Services on the M5 in Worcestershire and Tatenall, near Burton-on-Trent.
The MAA delivers advanced patient care on the scene across six counties, including the West Midlands and Worcestershire.
The new building will help future-proof the service to ensure it continues to meet the rising demand for its specialist skills.
It includes offices for the charity’s support staff and enhanced services for its pre-hospital emergency medicine doctors and critical care paramedics. This includes a clinical training and development simulation suite.
The helicopter-led service responds to an average of 4,300 missions each year – 2,000 of the deployments are air missions.
The charity also has a fleet of rapid response vehicles and three critical care cars.
The charity’s three aircraft each carry a crew comprising a pilot, two paramedics or flight doctors plus full life-support medical equipment.
The fleet of critical care cars each have critical care paramedics on-board with full life-support medical equipment.
Each year it costs £16million just to keep the three charity helicopters and fleet of critical care cars operational.
