National Treatment Centre garden in focus

If you're looking for a peaceful escape when attending the Victoria Hospital, then look no further. The fledgling garden at the new National Treatment Centre should be your first port of call. Here, you can relax and recharge by connecting with nature, enjoy your lunch at one of the seating areas, and take a few moments for some calming mindfulness.

Back to list 16/07/2024

Much of the garden's success is down to one man. Stuart Main, who works in the treatment centre as a plaster technician when he's not tending the NTC lawn.

Stuart has voluntarily developed and maintained the garden area at the rear of the centre since opening last year.

The golf enthusiast from Kirkcaldy has even turned the lawn into a putting green, complete with authentic Open Championship flag from 2010.

I love gardening, colour, and plants, and I want as many people as possible to enjoy this space. I come in three or four times a week to work on the garden during my spare time and it's great to see people out in the sunshine enjoying it.

Stuart Main , Plaster technician and gardener

When he's not designing gardens with golfing in mind, Stuart is busy fitting plasters to patients in the centre. He also helped bring an innovative solution to NHS Fife recently to help patients with new plaster casts or boots. Stuart now applies special tape to new plasters and boots that get fitted in the plaster room. This tape has a QR code printed on it, which can be scanned by patients for advice on how to take care and maintain their cast. You can read more about this initiative here.

Far from taking full credit for the gardenhowever, Stuart was at pains to point out the others involved in the garden project.

"it's not just me though, it's been a real community effort. For example, the Love Kirkcaldy Facebook group has been a great supporter and has generated various donations for things like plants, flowers and furniture and the Gallatown gardening community have also been brilliant."

Despite his protests, Stuart is the Main man of the project, as his inclusion on the Allett lawnmowers website must surely testify.

Keep up the good work Stuart!