Dementia Garden Launch from Scottish PR Agency

A GLENROTHES Care Home has celebrated the opening of its dementia friendly garden with a traditional summer fete.

Bield’s Finavon Court have worked on their outdoor space to provide a welcoming, relaxing and safe environment for their service users and their families to enjoy free of stress.

The fully accessible garden features raised beds and was funded by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and the Bank of Scotland Foundation.

This included £1,000 of Dobbies vouchers to help service users fill the beds with flora of their choice. We hope to be able to get plants and foliage that are bright throughout the year.

Angela Hayes, Manager at Finavon Court said: “It is a fantastic idea to encourage everyone who lives here to spend more time outdoors and enjoy the outbreaks of good weather!

“The flowers are really starting to brighten things up and residents are really enjoying the excuse to get outdoors a wee bit more often.

“The fete was a great success and a lovely way to make the most of the revamped space.”

A strawberry theme made the most of the outdoors with cake and candy stalls providing a bite to eat for revellers to go with teas and coffees.

Finavon also received a visit from Therapy Ponies Scotland who brought Bonny their four-legged friend along to meet the residents and visitors.

The garden was opened by Kevin Rowe, Fundraiser at Bield, who was instrumental in raising the funds for the space.

Kevin Rowe said: “Making the most of all our developments is a huge part of our ‘Free to Be’ ethos, enabling residents and tenants to live life as they choose as much as possible.

“The update to the garden is a great example of this and we’ve seen it put to great use today bringing the community together.”

The garden at Finavon Court is just one way in which Bield helps to realise their ‘Free to Be’ ethos, which aims to enable people to make their own choices and live as independently as possible.