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Published on:
Wednesday 8th April 2026
Silverwood, our newest mental health inpatient service, has been officially opened by Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Gloucester on Tuesday, 31 March 2026.
Silverwood supports adults with severe and acute mental health conditions. The £45m unit has 64 beds across four wards and began admitting patients in February 2025.
During the visit, The Duchess was welcomed by Trust Chief Executive Graham Wareham and Chair Aruna Mehta before being escorted on a tour of the building by Senior Matron Sima Magama. Her Royal Highness visited a range of therapeutic spaces, including a music room, art room, kitchen, and sensory room.
She joined people using our services in a session to create sensory boxes. These help regulate emotions by incorporating items which calm the senses, such as lavender, relaxing images, herbal teas, fidget toys and soothing hand creams.
The Duchess also met people using our services who were baking and took part in a cake-decorating session, one of many therapeutic activities offered at Silverwood. Her Royal Highness spoke with colleagues and people with lived experience of using mental health services, whose input helped shape the design of the building.
Artwork throughout the unit was created by local artist Kate Bond, who was introduced to The Duchess during the tour. Kate created 17 nature-inspired murals which feature local Surrey flora and wildflowers.
The visit concluded with The Duchess unveiling a commemorative plaque to mark the official opening of Silverwood.
Graham Wareham said: “It is a privilege to welcome The Duchess of Gloucester and everyone who has helped design and sustain this remarkable facility.
“Silverwood represents a groundbreaking step forward in mental health care design. Every aspect of this facility has been created to provide a therapeutic environment that supports people’s recovery.
“Above all, it has been designed with people at its heart: people who use our services, their families and carers, and our staff.”
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