Stanmore and Canons Park Synagogue (SACPS), award winning Mitzvah Day Programme started this week with its interfaith project at RNOH, where a dedicated team of gardeners, prepared the hospital garden, for the winter season.

The interfaith gardening project, run in association with The Stanmore Mosque, brought together a team of volunteers from both faiths at the local, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital. The team tidied and prepared the rehabilitation garden ready for the winter season. The project was launched last year, and in that time, the team has transformed the garden for patients and visitors to use and enjoy.

Local MP, Bob Blackman also came along to lend support and help dig over the herbaceous borders. Bob commented, “Mitzvah Day is a superb programme and one which I have had the pleasure of participating in for many years. Giving to the community is so important and I thank the organisers who put together such wonderful activities, which bring together people of all different faiths.”

The team also took part in the two minute silence in the London Spinal Cord Injury Centre garden to mark the end of World War 1. They listened to the commentary from the Cenotaph, but the gun salute could clearly be heard from London.

Volunteering and Involvement Lead, Diane Young, said: “It was a very special day and symbolic in so many ways as our communities and faiths come together for the hospital. The whole of the Volunteering department is funded entirely by the RNOH Charity and the input from our volunteers both in one off evens like this, and regular sessions has a huge impact on patients and staff.”

Juliette Harris, Organiser of Mitzvah Day activities at SACPS commented, “We are extremely grateful for people giving up their time and effort this morning for the much admired RHOH and, ensuring those who are based at the hospital, even for a short time, have a lovely space to come and enjoy. It is our pleasure to contribute to the wider community – it just means so much.”