Young Ambassadors Bring Colour and Care to Velindre Cancer Centre

2 August 2025

On Friday 25 July, we welcomed 11 Young Ambassadors, their families and their friends to construct and paint 3 new flower bed planters for Velindre Cancer Centre.

In an action-packed day working in collaboration with the Arts & Health team, 3 artists hosted a fantastic workshop in the Ray of Light Garden. Welcoming a sizeable group, everyone engaged in woodwork, sanding and painting- each flower bed painted by the young ambassadors to express their creativity!

These planters outside Outpatients in the car park, where staff and patients can now sit to enjoy some sunshine, and outside the two entrances to Radiotherapy. 

This project has helped us to bring some extra colour and positivity to Velindre, creating a more uplifting environment for both patients and staff. Inspired by our Great Big Green Week celebrations and our visits from Dot from Butterfly Conservation, we set our sights on boosting biodiversity around the hospital.

We'd like to give a huge thanks to the generous support of the Matthew Walklin's Make a Smile Foundation, who kindly covered the cost of plants and soil so that we were able to bring our green vision to life. 

We were also supported by Pugh’s Garden Centre, who not only gave us helpful planting advice but also donated bags of soil and some broken pots to help with planter drainage.

And of course, we couldn’t have done it without the energy and enthusiasm of our Young Ambassadors, who helped build, paint, and plant the planters. They’ve done a fantastic job and their efforts have truly transformed these spaces. These beautiful sensory plants brighten up our outdoor spaces, creating a calming atmosphere with real wellbeing benefits for everyone who visits or works here. 

Our Young Ambassadors consist of a group of young people, many of whom have had direct experience with Velindre, with family or relatives as either patients or staff. Each ambassador has an innate passion to advocate and support our work to express their gratitude for the support we have given to them.

Over the last few months alone, these ambassadors have raised thousands for Velindre to help fund our essential services. Opportunities like this allow ambassadors to volunteer their time, meet new people and give something back to the centre, and leave a legacy of love and support.

Thank you to our Young Ambassadors for their excellent work, and to all the staff involved in putting this activity together for them.