Cygnet Hospital Woking, on Redding Way, Knaphill is a 62-bed mental health hospital offering a range of services for both men and women. Cygnet Lodge Woking, our sister hospital close by, provides a high dependency inpatient rehabilitation service for men.
During his visit, Mr Forster, the Liberal Democrat MP for Woking, was given a comprehensive tour of both services, where he learned more about the work being done to support individuals with their mental health recovery. He met with staff and spoke with service users about their experiences and the positive impact of our care.
One of the highlights of the visit was the official opening of ‘A Place to Grow’, a newly developed allotment area designed to promote wellbeing, recovery and therapeutic engagement with the outdoors.
The space will enable service users to take part in gardening activities, grow fruit and vegetables, develop new skills, and benefit from the calming effects of being outdoors.
Speaking after the visit, Mr Forster said: “It was a real pleasure to visit the Cygnet Health Care services in Woking and meet with staff and patients, and see first-hand the important work being done to support people’s mental health.
“I was particularly honoured to officially open the new outdoor garden space, ‘A Place to Grow’ – a fantastic addition that will offer a peaceful and therapeutic environment for recovery. My thanks to the team for their dedication and the warm welcome during my visit.”
Carla Roadnight, Hospital Manager, added: “We were thrilled to welcome Mr Forster and have the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversation about the realities of mental health care today. It’s so important that decision-makers understand the challenges people face and the critical role services like ours play in supporting recovery.
“At Cygnet, we are committed to improving lives through compassionate, high quality care, and visits like this help raise awareness of the positive outcomes being achieved every day here at Cygnet Hospital Woking and Cygnet Lodge Woking.
“The allotment has been a real passion project for both staff and service users, and we are so proud of what we’ve created together. ‘A Place to Grow’ symbolises our belief that recovery is not just about clinical treatment, but also about connection, meaningful activity, and creating hope for the future. We were delighted Will was able to officially open it for us during his visit.”