A hospital has opened its first Armed Forces commemorative garden.

The outside space at Southlands Hospital in Shoreham was opened at a ceremony with staff, veterans and people currently in the Armed Forces present.

The garden has been designed as a peaceful environment for staff and patients to use all year round.

My University Hospitals Sussex, the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust's charity, co-funded the commemorative garden.

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Worthing and Southlands Hospital director Captain Stephen Mardlin MBE RN (Rtd), who officially opened the garden, said: “It has been a joy to see what was a wasteland at the corner of Southlands Hospital become a beautiful garden.

"It will provide some much-needed respite to our patients, such as those being treated in the Chavasse Clinic which provides bespoke musculoskeletal treatment to those that need it.

“As a veteran myself, seeing this link between the trust and our armed forces community is a special thing as was seen by the emotions in many of those at the opening.

"UHSussex is also a Gold Award holder demonstrating commitment to the Armed Forces. I extend my thanks to the trust for supporting all those that I served with and the many who are still serving, especially away on operations.”

Stephen Mardlin officially opened the garden (Image: University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust)

Lieutenant Colonel Ben Caesar, a consultant trauma and orthopaedic surgeon who runs the Chavasse clinic in Brighton, was also at the opening ceremony as an Armed Forces Network Lead for the hospital trust.

The ceremony was also attended by veteran and director of charities and voluntary services Steve Crump OBE.

He said: “The opening of the Armed Forces Commemorative Garden marks the culmination of a huge effort which saw £55,000 raised by the Trust’s Armed Forces Network, the Southlands Hospital League of Friends and the My University Hospitals Sussex charity, to fund the design and layout of this garden.

“Through the design expertise of the award-winning Juliet Sargeant, we now have a garden that commemorates staff and patients that have served in the armed forces of the crown, whilst also providing a dedicated space for patients, staff and visitors to enjoy.”