PLANS for a garden that will bring colour into the lives of patients at the rebuilt Newton Hospital are now in full bloom.

And the Newton Ward Forum helped the scheme grow with funding that paid for the sensory garden plans to be drawn up.

The garden design has been created to feature different areas including a wildflower section to encourage the local wildlife along with raised flowerbeds to let patients and visitors get closer to nature.

The ward forum had spent £2,650 of its £30,000 environment budget to help pay for the design and costing to be carried out.

Councillor Suzanne Knight said: "The cost is quite expensive so one area will be done at a time. Now funding has to be found for the different aspects of that garden.

"This has been the dream of Newton Hospital matron, Sue Winstanley. I would love it to happen for her because she has given an awful lot of her time. She has had this vision for the garden for a long time."

The development of the hospital is centred on the community and now those behind the project want to get pupils from the area's schools involved in the creation of the garden.

"We have always said that we want to get young people in to the scheme. We want the older ones to be involved with the construction of the garden and the younger ones to help with the planting," Cllr Knight continued.

Make sure you read next week's Warrington Guardian for an update on the re-development of Newton Hospital.

vicki.stockman@guardiangrp.co.uk