The children’s ward at Forth Valley Royal Hospital has been given a facelift, thanks to a makeover which includes bird boxes and the chance to spot hidden nests in corridors en-route to theatre.
The makeover is the result of a creative collaboration between visual artist, Sharon Quigley, and designer, Andrew McGregor, who sounded out dozens of youngsters and their families, together with staff, to find out how they would like to see the ward transformed.
Gone are Peppa Pigs, Thomas the Tank Engine and Hello Kitty stickers, which have been replaced with colourful imagery drawn directly from the woodland surrounding the hospital. It features clouds, leaves, and the sound of birdsong, a clever combination of real birds tweeting and children playing.
For seven-year-old Rocco Falcone (pictured), the lure of the bird box was too good to miss. He said: “It looks like chocolate eggs inside – it’s really cool!"
Quigley said the new designs, which cover walls and doorways, were going down a storm: “We’ve seen kids run out of the lift and they say ‘wow, we want that in our bedroom.’ To see a reaction like this is great, she added.
The makeover is the first of a series of commissions at the hospital, funded by endowments – the charitable arm of NHS Forth Valley.
