Doncasater, United Kingdom
City population: 303375
Duration: 2012 – 2015
Implementation status: Completed
Scale: Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Project area: unknown
Type of area: Other
Last updated: October 2021

A multi-sensory garden designed and built especially for people with dementia and their carers has been opened in Doncaster at St. Catherine's mental health hospital. The Garden is the result of multiple charities and organisations coming together to push the project forward. The aim was to create a stimulating, relaxing and safe environment for people living with dementia, as well as their carers, to enjoy. The garden has been designed to be multi-sensory to prompt memory recall by appealing to senses such as sight, smell, touch, sound and even taste that come with the different seasons (Ref 1 & 2).

Garden for Dementia patients
The King's Fund
https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/projects/enhancing-healing-environment/completed-projects/rotherham-doncaster-and-south-humber-nhs

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Community gardens and allotments
  • Community gardens

Key challenges

  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
  • Social cohesion
  • Social interaction
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Improving mental health
  • Improving physical health
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation

Focus

Creation of new green areas

Project objectives

- For people with dementia to safely enjoy the mental and sensory stimulation of flowers, plants and fresh air, benefiting their health and wellbeing. - To enhance wellbeing, reduce agitation and stress by means of outdoor space. - To include rather than exclude people with dementia and their carers in nature areas. (Ref 1, 2 & 3)

Implementation activities

Create an accessible garden that provides sensory experiences of nature, such as smell and touch, in a context that is safe and enjoyable for all. The inspiration for the design came from the rich industrial heritage of the local community ensuring that features such as railway sleepers have become an integral part of the new garden. The available space has been maximised and used to create a garden with strong lines, including trellises with climbing plants, and a large water feature at its centre. Even paths have been provided for walking and wheelchairs and to allow people to enjoy the planting, much of which has been placed in raised beds for better access. The main curved seating area is sheltered from wind and sun by a large sail. (Ref 1, 2 & 6)

Main beneficiaries

  • Citizens or community groups
  • Marginalized groups: People with functional diversities, Other

Governance

Management set-up

  • Co-governance with government and non-government actors

Type of initiating organisation

  • Public sector institution
  • Private sector/corporate actor/company
  • Private foundation/trust

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Unknown

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

- Public sector institution: The garden is connected to St. Catherine's mental health hospital and mostly targeted at their patients. Their specific role is not detailed (Ref 1) - Private enterprise: Not-for-profit company "Flourish Enterprises" offered to lend out the plot of land for free. The garden is described as being "part of a social enterprise called Flourish" (Ref 2) - Citizens: A garden designer drew all the plans for free (Ref 1) - Other: The "Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust" is often mentioned in relation to funding and planning and to the broader strategy for a dementia-friendly Doncaste (Ref 6). - The role of the local government is not specified

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Unknown
... a national policy or strategy? Yes (The project was enabled by the the 1 million British Pound funding from the national Department of Health pilot scheme "Developing Supportive Design for people with Dementia". Thus the project is a response to a national strategy for creating dementia-friendly environments (Ref 6).)
... a local policy or strategy? Yes (In 2012 the Doncaster Dementia Action Plan was drafted (Ref 8 & 9). )

Financing

Total cost

€100,000 - €500,000

Source(s) of funding

  • Public national budget
  • Public local authority budget
  • Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)
  • Private Foundation/Trust
  • Other

Type of funding

  • Earmarked public budget
  • Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
  • Donations

Non-financial contribution

Type of non-financial contribution
  • Provision of land
  • Provision of goods
  • Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
  • Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)
  • Private sector (businesses, financial institution)

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased green space area
  • Increased number of species present

Economic impacts

  • Unknown

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Improved access to urban green space
  • Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
  • Increased opportunities for social interaction
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Improved physical health
  • Improved mental health
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
  • Cultural heritage and sense of place
  • Improvement in people’s connection to nature

Type of reported impacts

Achieved impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Unknown

Presence of indicators used in reporting

No evidence in public records

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No

References

Ref 1: NHS Foundation Trust. (2015). Doncaster dementia garden is launched. Retrieved from Source link on 19th October, 2020.
Ref 2: Doncaster Free Press. (2020). Garden tea party held by Doncaster dementia charity. Retrieved from Source link on 19th October, 2020.
Ref 3: Doncaster Free Press. (2016). Doncaster marks Dementia Awareness Week. Retrieved from Source link on 19th October, 2020.
Ref 4: Building Better healthcare. (2012). Garden retreat for older people. Retrieved from Source link on 19th October, 2020.
Ref 5: NHS Foundation Trust. (n.d.). Doncaster selected for 1m national Department of health dementia pilot. Retrieved from Source link on 19th October, 2020.
Ref 6: The King's Fund. (n.d.). Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust. Retrieved from Source link on 19th October, 2020.
Ref 7: Shadow Health & Well Being Board. (2012). Doncaster Dementia Action Plan 2012-2015 draft.
Ref 8: Doncaster Dementia Strategic Partnership. (2015). Adults and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Panel Dementia Friendly Communities Progress Update.