FEELING the sunlight on our face and the wind through our hair is something very simple we all take for granted.

But for a patient reaching the end of their life in hospital, it is more than they could ever want.

Luckily, an area of tranquillity for terminally ill patients at Colchester General Hospital has moved a step closer to completion.

The first ground for the Time Garden has just been cut, after a two-year fundraising campaign.

Macmillan lead nurse Bev Pickett, who helped launch the Gazette-backed campaign, said she cannot believe how quickly time has flown.

She said: "It is lovely that people have supported us, without those big donations we would be a long way off.

"I'm excited and slightly apprehensive as the garden opens in seven weeks."

The hospital is working with a number of organisations, namely Beth Chatto Gardens, to create a picturesque outdoor facility.

While generous donations from groups such as Colchester Hospital’s League of Friends, the Masonic Lodge Charitable Foundation, Colchester Big Choice and Colchester Catalyst have already been received, about £25,000 more is still required to reach the hospital’s £160,000 target.

Bev said it has not just been a journey to collect donations, it has also been one of building a reputation for the hospital.

She said: "It has been quite a journey of improvement for the hospital as it started when we were rated as inadequate by the Care Quality Commission.

"We want to reach outstanding, so in a way it's the end of the journey for the garden but it's the beginning of the journey to reach that rating."

Angela Tillett, medical director at the hospital, will cut the first ground where the Time Garden will be built.

The area is set to open on May 14, coinciding with the start of National Dying Matters Week.

The garden will offer dying patients and their relatives an area for quiet contemplation, reflection and privacy and was inspired following a visit to Frimley Park Hospital which has a similar facility.

It will feature an innovative outdoor building, including space for a wheelchair and a bed.

Bev said: "When you have got a prognosis all that control is gone, you are in a hospital bed and you may not be able to go home.

"It's about making the most of being in hospital and it allows that privacy and a pleasant environment.

"When in hospital your priorities change. I spoke to the family of someone who died in hospital and the daughter said her dad would have loved the garden as he was an outdoor person."

The garden will be bed and wheelchair accessible, and a company called Green Unit has created an eco-friendly log cabin, the first of its kind in the NHS. There will also be a decking area and smaller area for wheelchairs so more than one person can use the garden.

Bev did her own fundraising for the cause by taking part in a 10 mile walk with a team of other supporters.

Tracy Tye, a former midwife and fundraiser for the hospital, was also a dedicated supporter of the cause.

She sadly died aged 51 earlier this year, after a long-fought battle with cervical cancer.

Children at Chappel Primary School also decorated Christmas baubles to sell at a fayre to raise money for the time garden.

Pensioners Ken, 79, and Sylvia Guyton, 82, invited people into their Walton home for tea and cakes to support the appeal.

Anxious about meeting their original £100 aim, donations racked in at £500, beating both their expectations.

A team of runners, the 24 strong Team Time Garden, pounded the streets to help raise money to build the sanctuary in the Colchester 10k last year.

A huge amount of effort has gone into the simplest of ideas - giving patients one last opportunity to be outside.

Perhaps being able to feel the fresh air is not something we should overlook, after all.

Anybody wishing to donate can do so to Colchester Hospital’s Time Garden Appeal - www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/cohoc/timegarden