Published on 02 March 2022
A special memorial garden has been unveiled as part of the multi-million pound Anatomy Centre officially opened this week.
The Anatomy Centre further enhances the facilities at the University of Sunderland’s School of Medicine, providing a great future for the teaching of anatomy, as well as offering vital training for other students within the Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellbeing.
Specially invited guests from across the region’s health, education, and business communities attended the launch of the new facility on City campus, as well as the unveiling of The Marie and Robert Bell Memorial Garden.
Adjacent to the Anatomy Centre, and funded by the University's Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, Sir David Bell KCB DL, and his wife, Lady - Louise - Bell, the memorial garden has been established to honour Sir David's parents.
It has been designed as a place of peace and tranquility for students and staff working in the Anatomy Centre, as well as for the wider University community.
The garden is also in keeping with the University’s sustainability strategy, using recycled stone beneath the new flagged and paved areas. Where practical, paved sections and kerbs have been cleaned and reused within the new garden layout. Existing flag stones have also been repurposed.
Sir David commented: This is a proud day for the University as we open a wonderful new facility to enhance the education of medical students, and others studying health-related disciplines. It will also act, in time, as a centre for the training and in-service education of surgeons, with all the attendant benefits for patients locally, regionally and nationally.
“At a personal level, I am proud to remember my parents, Marie and Robert Bell, with the opening of a memorial garden in front of the Anatomy Centre. As they loved to spend time in their own garden over the years, I think they would have been pleased to know that future generations will enjoy this special place within the University of Sunderland.”
The Anatomy Centre is a dedicated, state-of-the-art learning environment for staff and students, influencing the education of future generations of doctors, nurses and other key healthcare workers.
It has been established with the help of generous funding from the Sir James Knott Trust and the Garfield Weston Foundation.
