“The Parish Council is very proud of its Memory Café and in scoring a hat trick of awards in the last couple of year, those being the Community First “Most Innovative New Project” award, the Haydon Wick Heroes “Best Community Group” award and now this latest award “Growing Together Award for Community Gardening””.
Haydon Wick Parish Council is delighted to announce that its Memory Café has won another award. This time, the award focuses on the outdoor Sensory Garden, created within the Council’s Leisure Garden Site. This very special certificate was awarded from the BBC One Show and Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) in the category of the “Growing Together Award for Community Gardening“. The award is an attribute to the fantastic creativity and attention to detail from the Council’s very talented Memory Café Co Ordinator and innovative Parks & Open Spaces Team, who collectively worked together and their hard work has certainly paid off.
The idea behind the Sensory Garden is to offer a safe, calm and relaxing space to the residents of the Memory Café and their companions, to enable them to sit and relax outdoors, listen to the birds, amongst the carefully chosen scented plants, flowers and climbers which include honeysuckle, roses and clematis. The Sensory Garden will enable the residents of the Memory Café living with dementia and their companions to come sit and enjoy a safe environment to chat with others, potter, hand weed and plant. The specially designed raised beds make it easier to access the plants and save any unnecessary bending and lifting.
The success of the Sensory Garden has been complimented by several plot holders of the Leisure Garden site donating upcycled components including old sleepers, a timber shed, a compost bin and fruit trees. There has also been a lot of generosity from several local businesses with donations of wooden pallets, paving slabs, bulbs and decorative stones.
A small group of Memory Café residents who love gardening but are now unable to work on their own gardens, have got together in maintaining this special place. The garden has continued to encourage friendships to form, and those more isolated residents have had the opportunity to meet with others in a safe space. The Sensory Garden encourage conversations, triggers memories of the past and makes memories in the present. The benefits of having access to a safe outdoor space will have a positive impact on all those who visit.
The Parish Council is very proud of its Memory Café and in scoring a hat trick of awards in the last couple of year, those being the Community First “Most Innovative New Project” award, the Haydon Wick Heroes “Best Community Group” award and now this latest award “Growing Together Award for Community Gardening”.
