Community comes together to create Butterfly Garden

Date: 17 July 2019

DementiaGarden

On a beautiful spring day the Trust was delighted to welcome then Mayor of Medway, Cllr Steve Iles, to open its therapeutic Butterfly Garden for people living with dementia. 

The official opening was the culmination of hard work by staff, volunteers and charities who came together to support this innovative project. More than 50 people enjoyed the garden’s transformation from concrete courtyard to therapeutic haven.

April Thompson, Head of Therapies, said: “We would like to thank everyone involved with The Dementia Therapy Garden Appeal. We had incredible support from our local community and internal volunteers including our Estates team, working group and therapists. All were instrumental in the development of the Butterfly Garden, providing time, money, plants and much, much more!”

Jenny Holliday, Senior Data Quality Coordinator who led the project, added: “The response from our staff and the community has been overwhelmingly positive. We are keen to harness feedback, skills and knowledge to sustain this sensory, therapeutic gardening space to support the recovery and wellbeing of patients.”

The garden will also provide welcome outdoor space for our staff and the therapies team is looking for volunteers to join its gardening club. Please contact Jenny on 01634 830000, extension 3425 or email jenny.holliday@nhs.net if you can help.

Thank you to:

• The Medway League of Friends for donating £5,000 to kick-start the project

• Dan Barnes from Travis Perkins for providing tools, equipment and labour

• Paul Smith, and team, from Ideal Home Improvement for building a bespoke, wheelchair-accessible raised bed and donating a tree for the garden

• Maundene Primary School’s 60 young volunteers who helped in the garden. They were supported by an education workshop from the Kent Wildlife Trust

• The Octopus Foundation’s Men with Sheds project team who built an arbour and made planters out of recycled pallets

• Phil Dynes and team, from National Grid who built the decking for the privacy area and installed the screen and handrail. They also painted and refurbished the benches

• Garden designer Eva Girling who shared her time and expertise

• Contractors Bauvill for supporting the new door, wheelchair access and paving into the privacy area

• Martin Tubman from B&Q Gillingham for donating plants, compost and tools

• Dillywood Garden Centre in Rochester for donating plants and flowers

• Everyone who donated money to the Dementia Therapy Garden Appeal - our community raised a wonderful £1,445 - and those who bought items from the Amazon Wishlist

  • Summary:

    On a beautiful spring day the Trust was delighted to open its therapeutic Butterfly Garden for people living with dementia.