Sensory garden brings joy to tenants

Tracy, Support Manager at Mediline Supported Living, shares how staff and tenants came together and successfully pitched for funding at the Soup Dragons event last year. The Winchester Avenue scheme used its funding to build a sensory garden that adds social value and provides learning opportunities around sustainable and healthy living.

Community Support Grant and funding

“As part of our pitch, we talked about the benefits of our proposed sensory garden for our tenants, including the social, well-being, and educational benefits, and the importance of our tenants gaining essential skills to become self-sufficient. We were delighted to be awarded £200 from Community Grant.”

Funding was also raised with a tombola at a Let’s Do Lunch, and donations came in from family, friends, and local businesses. “Staff have also sourced many free items, such as tyres, pallets and wheel trims, which are still to be used in the garden, so watch this space! The sign for the Winchester sensory garden was made and donated by a member of the local community.”

Healthy living education and socialising

The sensory garden in Manchester is a unique place that tenants, family, friends and staff have created and can now enjoy together, with a focus on sustainable living and social value. Tracy says, “Tenants have been enjoying growing their own vegetables such as peppers, cabbages, and tomatoes, as well as eating what they have grown!”. The sensory garden is also available for other tenants to enjoy, and volunteers are also warmly welcomed to help in the garden, too.

Stimulating all five senses

The sensory garden stimulates the senses of sight, smell, sound, touch and taste. Tracy says, “The range of herbs and soothing plants, like lavender, smell wonderful. The wind chimes make a beautiful sound along with the rustling of the ribbons in the wind. There are different plants to touch with a variety of textures. The food that is grown can be tasted, and all over the garden, there are different patterns, shapes, and movements, which give good visual and colour contrast.”

Watch the video, Winchester Sensory Garden: