I am doing the great South run (10 miles) for the kingfisher ward garden.

For the last 9 months, Kingfisher Ward at Southampton Priory Hospital, has been the place I call home. It's a CAMHS ward - a mental health ward for ages 12-18. It is a homely emvironment, with friendly staff, vibrantly coloured furniture and an atmosphere that starts to feel like a family. The only downfall is the garden.

In a hospital where you are literally locked in, and usually don't want to be there, it can start to feel very uncomfortable, very fast. When particularly stifled, patients here call it a posh prison. This is not helped by the fact that the garden is a high, fenced space, filled with grass, a small broken goal, a few broken swing ball sets, and some sad garden games with pieces missing. The managers saw this recently and agreed that it is far from aceptable and have made some funding available for things like seating areas, shelter and better games equipment. But this all takes time to go through with, and I want to do more.

This needs to be a space to recover, engage with activities, let out stress. This is why I am pushing myself 10 miles to fund a basket swing (pictured above). The basket swing creates a vibrant centerpiece to an otherwise dreary garden, and plays an important role in relaxation. It engages the vestibular sense (like when you get a head rush, or get spun around on a spinney char or a swing), which can actually calm a lot of people down. This is helpful when a young person is particularly distressed - it could even help to stop them doing something, like hurting themselves or others. It is something that helps when a young person doesn't know what to do, how to help themselves.

Thank you for reading about my story, and I hope that you are able to help me out, even if it as little as £5. Every little helps.

Jamie