A MEMORIAL garden has been created at Barnard Castle’s emergency service hub.
The calming space for staff in the first responders services of fire, police, ambulance and mountain rescue is at the Wilson Street centre of the combined services.
The garden of planters and seating was established from money contributed from all four services, plus a donation from local employer Glaxo Smith Kline.
Jennifer Todd and Amanda Coles, who are both from the ambulance service, were the driving forces behind creating the garden. Ms Todd said: “Being in the emergency service can be tough at times, we wanted to create a garden for those we have lost in recent years.
“We feel a sense of calm when we are there, and we hope everyone here can benefit from that.
“We have had help from Carrs Billingham, Piers Jackson, Robin Anderson, Jopling’s tree services and R Jackson skips.
“Crews from other services have visited and found it to be the calm reflective space that it was envisaged to be.”
It is hoped that in future years the garden will remain in place and be used by members of the services where they can take time out from stressful work they do on a daily basis.
