Creating A Dementia Support Garden

Aim

We will create a new allotment garden to bring together school children & people with dementia. Produce will be donated to a local food bank

THE POWER OF GARDENING

With your help, Approach Staffordshire's planned Dementia Support Garden in Leek will provide a wonderful new allotment-style garden on a previously unused grass area at St Edward's Middle School in Leek, Staffordshire.

This is the first of what we hope will be a series of exciting projects at locations right across North Staffordshire.

Gardening is good for us all regardless of age or ability. It builds strength, improves balance and can help reduce stress and anxiety. For those who live with dementia, there are added benefits such as maintaining cognitive function and providing social interaction, which in turn helps someone who is living with dementia to remain stimulated, feel valued and helpful. 

HOW WILL WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Our project will make a huge difference to the quality of life of both those living with dementia and their loved ones. For many visitors, it will provide their only opportunity to reconnect with a lifelong passion for horticulture. This will offer an opportunity to interact with both children and other adults, reducing loneliness and isolation as well as providing respite from their condition, facilitating reminiscence and an increased sense of independence that can be rare for those living with dementia. 

Family members, many of whom are also careers will be able to enjoy a short respite from the pressures of caring for someone living with dementia knowing that their loved one is safe and able to enjoy being outdoors. 

Both carers and those living with dementia will see huge benefits from visiting the garden:

The food grown will be donated to the local food bank providing a vital lifeline for many families and older people from across the area who are struggling to afford sufficient healthy food.

The site to be developed:

The garden will support many people living with dementia and their carers from across North Staffordshire and in particular the Staffordshire Moorlands. Under the supervision of school staff and our skilled support workers, children from the school will have the opportunity to meet and work with visitors to the garden, growing flowers, fruit and vegetables whilst building intergenerational understanding and friendships.

St Edward's is a key partner:

Children from the school will help maintain the garden and work alongside visitors living with dementia.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE PRODUCE?

Growing lots of fresh edible organic produce is an important goal. It is planned that once harvested, much of this will be donated to a local food bank. Through the donation of seasonal, fresh, organic and healthy fruit and vegetables, your support will also provide long term help to support struggling families from across Leek and the surrounding areas. 

Examples of the kind of raised beds we want to create to ensure visitors can garden again, growing flowers, fruit and vegetables:

WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO?

To make this all possible we need to raise approximately £12,000. This will pay for:

• Creation of eight new raised beds using sleepers. These will need to be designed to ensure they are accessible without bending down or stretching, Est. cost £2,000
• Providing a water supply, Est cost £800
• Safe pathways to ensure anyone can access the site regardless of disability Est. cost £400
• A greenhouse or polytunnel and secure potting shed, Est. cost£1,800
• Seating area (ideally covered), Est cost £400
• Hand tools, soil, compost, seeds and plants to get the garden up and running. Est cost £600
• Providing professional carers to support people with dementia to get the most from the garden. Est. cost £6,000 pa

Example of the kind of Polytunnel we want to erect

The following images are of the raised garden at the Donna Louise Hospice and give a good idea of what we hope to create:

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Every contribution large or small makes a difference and there are lots of ways you can help:

• You can help us reach more people by sharing our campaign with your friends, family or on social media,
• You can make a cash donation to our crowdfunding campaign,
• You can purchase one of our wonderful rewards,
• You can run a fundraiser and donate the proceeds to our campaign,
• You can get in touch and volunteer your time,
• Businesses may want to help out by sponsoring specific parts of the scheme or by providing services and materials at a reduced cost or even for free.

Everyone who helps us make this project a reality will be recognised on our website unless they specifically ask to remain anonymous. 

OUR FANTASTIC AND UNIQUE REWARDS

We really need your help, but we also want to make sure that our crowdfunding campaign is fun. Whilst you can make a simple donation via the button at the top right-hand side of this page, you can also choose to take up one of our unique rewards. Our rewards offer an exciting range of items and experiences in exchange for a set donation. These are all listed on the right-hand side of this page, why not check them out, we think they are amazing!

THE APPROACH STORY

Dementia has now overtaken heart disease as the leading cause of death in the UK. Across the country, approximately 850,000 people are currently living with dementia; a figure that is expected to rise to 1 million by 2025. In Staffordshire, more than 12,000 people are currently living with dementia and around 4,000 live in Stoke-on-Trent alone. The need for a joined-up approach to providing effective dementia support has never been greater.

Approach Staffordshire is the county's specialist dementia charity and has been supporting those affected by dementia since 1981. Our work primarily centres on the communities of Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire. The charity provides services to support the well-being of people living with dementia, their families and carers.

We believe that everyone affected by dementia should be supported to live their lives the way they choose. Our wide range of specialist services allows us to assist our local communities throughout Staffordshire.

To do this we offer a range of services to support people with dementia located across the county. This ranges from offering advice, support and training to dementia cafes designed to reduce loneliness and isolation and promote positive mental health to signing and exercise groups.  

Whilst an independent charity in its own right Approach has a strategic alliance with the Douglas Macmillan Hospice which provides us with a range of admin and support services as well as office accommodation. Our alliance aims to respond effectively to the growing need for cohesive dementia support by collaborating as two organisations with a shared ethos of compassion for the most vulnerable in our community.

THANK YOU!

Thank you for taking an interest in our Crowdfunder. This campaign will make a huge difference in the lives of those living with dementia and their carers in Leek and the surrounding areas and we really need your support to make this possible.  I hope that we have inspired you and that you are able to help in some way to make this important project possible.

Louise Eagle,

Head of Strategic Alliance,

Approach Staffordshire.

This project successfully funded on 25th July 2022