Revamped dementia garden unveiled
The garden, based outside St Catherine’s House, a Grade II listed building, on the Tickhill Road Hospital site, has been jointly created with the dementia charity Donmentia and Flourish, a not for profit community enterprise.
The garden includes plants which are multi-sensory to prompt memory recall by appealing to all of the senses – sight, smell, touch, sound and even taste, thanks to the use of herbs and edible produce grown in the raised beds.
The garden was initially established in 2015, but ten years on was desperate for a revamp. Already new seating is in place, with wind chimes, bird feeders and new planting, and a new fountain has been put in the garden. In the next few weeks more grasses will be planted and the paving will be cleaned.
The money has come from a range of charities, with £3,000 coming from Your Hearts and Minds, the charity for Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH).
The garden was launched by RDaSH’s Director of Strategy, Joanne McDonough, who oversees the Your Hearts and Minds Charity. She said: “I’m so pleased to be launching the dementia garden for not only our patients but also people in the community to enjoy. Supporting people and their families to live well with dementia is important to our charity and I hope this garden goes some way to bringing joy to people with dementia and their loved ones. It’s such a pleasant place to come and spend time, enjoying the sights and smells of the flowers and plants.”
Eileen Harrington, founder of Donmentia, said: “It’s lovely to see the garden reinvigorated for people to enjoy.”
Your Hearts and Minds charity raises funds to support activities, projects, education and research which go above and beyond normal NHS funding to improve the care and experience of patients. For more information visit https://yourheartsandminds.org.uk/ or to donate visit https://yourheartsandminds.org.uk/donate/
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Caption: Joanne McDonough, Director of Strategy at RDaSH, is pictured opening the garden, together with Wendy Sharps, dementia patient, together with the Civic Mayor of Doncaster Cllr Julie Grace.
Note to editors
Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH) provides a range of mental health, learning disability, drug and alcohol services and community health services across Rotherham, Doncaster and North Lincolnshire.
Our NHS Talking Therapy services are available for experiencing anxiety, depression, low mood, or stress. We offer a free, confidential service. Residents can self-refer via https://talkingtherapies.rdash.nhs.uk for an assessment or call Doncaster 03000 211556, Rotherham 03000 215108 or North Lincolnshire 03000 216165.
The Trust has a Clinical and Organisational Strategy which runs until 2028. In there are the trust’s 28 promises to patients, staff and the communities it serves as well as it’s values and vision ‘Nurturing the power in our communities.’. You can view it here: https://www.rdash.nhs.uk/documents/rdash-clinical-and-organisational-strategy-2023-to-2028/ in a number of languages and Easy Read.
The Trust has its own charity which raises funds through donations, activities and legacies to fund a wide range of projects across our services in Rotherham, Doncaster, and North Lincolnshire. Every day, our work impacts service users, their families and friends, and the staff who care for them. The charity funds ideas and projects, above and beyond routine NHS funding to enable outstanding care to improve their lives and those in the wider community.
For further information, please contact the communications team, Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust,
Tel: 03000 212100 or email rdash.rdashcommunications@nhs.net
