Caister Sensory Garden

Aim

To create a sensory space for those who need peace and calm or cannot enjoy the features of the Sports Field and Park.

The King George V field is a village recreation centre hosting local Sports Teams both adult and Junior, a Café hosting many social groups, a Play Children's Ground, Scout Hall, Bowls Club, Men's Shed, Community Larder and Community Cinema. The latest project (that this application is for) is t o provide a Sensory Garden for all those who feel unable t o engage with the facilities currently offered by the field. This Garden will be open t o all residents and visitors t o Caister on Sea and will be free t o enjoy. It has been designed in conjunction with the local SEN schools and Colleges. The aim is to provide a safe and secure environment for people irrespective of their physical, mental and mobility abilities to find Calm, Peace, Respite and stimulation that is not challenging. The garden will offer stimulation to all of the senses with a small Tea Hut to fulfil the taste sense and enhance the scent experience.

Below is the basic garden structures seen in April 2025

Work continues with the help of many volunteers and specialist sponsors; one of which has funded the complete build cost for a bespoke Document M disabled toilet suite in the Community Spoon building which adjoins the Sensory Garden.

The local Men's Shed have been invaluable in creating some of the visual elements and the people who built the new Children's park have install the major elements seen in the image above.

Recently donated plants have been planted and with a donation from Essex and Suffolk Water we have sourced trees specifically for the visual properties and their perfume or structural form.

This project is still a work in progress and there is still a great deal of work to be done as well as providing a renewable Solar generated power source that will allow us to automate many of the floral feeding and watering functions a garden such as this need to remain healthy. The power supply will allow us to enhance the experience to visually impaired visitors by provide NFC tags that will provide audio descriptions of the exhibits and facilities.

Most of all this Garden will be free to access for all. there are very few space like this in the County and as a seaside community we have a lot of tourists, casual visitors and residents who don't feel they are catered for, recreationally, or just feel the need for respite or a space for quiet contemplation.  The King George Vth Field have the space and the will to create this garden to help these groups.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made