The roots of good health

ONE of television's most popular botanists and academics, David Bellamy, paid a visit to the City on Thursday to officially open a new sensory garden in his capacity as Vice-President of the environment group Conservation Volunteers.

Making time for both staff and patients, Dr Bellamy performed the official ‘unveiling’ duties at the new garden which is based at Lakeview Hospital on the Gransha site, on the outskirts of the City.

The garden was designed and created by the Conservation Volunteers, and devised in conjunction with the Western Health and Social Care Trust. It was funded by the Friends of Stradreagh.

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The outdoor facility was given the thumbs up by Dr Bellamy not least because it ties in with the ‘Green Gym’ concept now being employed at the site, primarily a health initiative offering individuals an outdoor alternative to conventional gyms.

It gives people the opportunity to increase their physical activity levels through direct involvement in practical conservation activities. It is Conservation Volunteers’ contention that local people must be involved in order for environmental improvements to be sustainable, and in keeping with that philosophy now everyone using the Lakeview Sensory Gardens will have the ability to get actively involved in looking after their local environment.

Welcoming the collaborative initiative behind the sensory garden which will bring a new dimension to services at Lakeview Hospital, which supports people with a learning disability living in the community, Dr Bellamy’s delight at the green thinking behind the move was palpable.

“I was delighted to open the new Lakeview Hospital Sensory Garden and to see the wonderful work local volunteers have undertaken to enhance learning disability services,” he told the gathering, adding: “The initiative behind the sensory garden and vision to provide an enriched range of experiences for people with learning disability in a hospital setting is truly inspirational.”

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Essentially, the Sensory Garden is a self-contained area featuring a wide range of outdoor sensory experiences aimed at encouraging people to recognise, identify and experience different sounds, textures and smells throughout the seasons.

Explaining the benefits of the sensory garden, the Trust’s director of adult mental health and disability services, Trevor Millar said: ”The introduction of a sensory garden at Lakeview Hospital is a welcome therapeutic addition to our services. It complements the ethos of the hospital and will help individuals to gain confidence in their own abilities interpreting the environment and expressing their feelings. It is important to recognise the contribution of Conservation Volunteers and Friends of Stradreagh to this garden. Without their vision and generosity this initiative would not have been possible.”

Chief Executive of the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, Tom Flood, CBE, was also enthusiastic about the initiative.

“We are delighted to have been so involved in the development of this Sensory Garden. Working in Partnership with the Health Trust has enabled our Green Gym Project to engage with this specific group and expand the benefits of contact with the natural environment to them,” he said.

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Speaking on behalf of the funders, Rosemary Millar from the Friends of Stradreagh, said: “All of the Friends of Stradreagh are pleased to see that this donation has created a special environment that will really benefit people with profound and multiple disabilities. This will truly be a ‘living and growing’ legacy of Friends of Stradreagh.”