Eight colleagues from Hugh James' catastrophic injury team were due to run the Cardiff Half Marathon in 2021 in aid of national charity, Horatio's Garden. A number of the team are now going to be running the distance virtually in preparation for the 2022 half marathon. Cari has successfully completed her challenge a week early and is extremely grateful for the donations to date. 

The team were originally signed up for the Cardiff Half Marathon in 2020 but when the coronavirus struck, they set themselves a lockdown charity challenge to run 2800 kilometres between them in just 4 months. After raising over £2,000.00 the team have returned back to their initial challenge to run the Cardiff Half Marathon which is due to take place on 3 October 2021. Although the run will be virtual due to the recent postponement, they are looking forward to the challenge. 

The group’s aim is to try to raise much-needed funds for Horatio’s Garden. It’s developing an accessible garden at the new Welsh Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Centre at Llandough Hospital which will open this year. The team are now turning their attention to funding the maintenance of the garden, to include a full time gardener and enabling activities to be undertaken in the garden for patients throughout the year. 

In work, the team focuses solely on supporting people who have suffered catastrophic brain and spinal cord injury. The team has chosen to raise funds for Horatio’s Garden as it’s a cause close to the team’s hearts, not just because of the work they do – but because they have family and close friends who have sustained life-changing spinal cord injuries.

Horatio's Garden Cardiff will be at The Welsh Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Centre in its new location at the University Hospital Llandough. The garden has been designed by Sarah Price and will be a stunning, peaceful sanctuary for patients and their families away from the wards. A spectacular garden pavilion will mean the space can be used in all weathers. Throughout the garden, wildlife friendly planting will provide year-round interest and biodiversity, with bird feeders encouraging wild birds to the garden. A raised water pool will sit in the planting. The Welsh Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Centre is one of only 11 in the UK designated to receive and treat spinal cord injured patients. This centre has recently moved from Rookwood Hospital to a brand-new purpose built spinal and neurological centre at the University Hospital Llandough. Due to open this year, Horatio's Garden has been invited to create a garden as part of the centre's redevelopment.