A new sensory garden has opened at the Jean Bishop Integrated Care Centre (ICC) in Hull.
The team from management group, Citycare, was recently joined by representatives from the charity, Environmental & Management Solutions Yorkshire (EMS), in the garden, which was built in memory of Jean Bishop, who raised £124,000 for Age UK over 30 years of fundraising dressed as a bee.
The project, which is part of continuing improvements to the ICC’s green spaces, will create a more-welcoming and therapeutic environment for the older and frail patients.
Planning began last June when Citycare and Community Health Partnerships (CHP), head tenant at the centre and a Citycare shareholder, wanted to improve green spaces at their buildings.
Clare Cornelius, Citycare estates assistant, said: “We set out to create a sensory garden to help keep patients minds active, and when we heard the sad news of Jean’s passing, we were keen to make it a tribute to her, at the building which bears her name.
The garden has been designed in memory of Jean Bishop and features a plaque in her honour, gifted by Timpson
“The garden is designed to support patients, many of whom have conditions such as dementia, through sensory experiences which have proven to slow memory loss, aid hand-eye co-ordination, and help maintain attention.
“It is my hope that the garden will be added to over time, and we can continue to work with charities, schools, and dementia groups to not only leave a lasting tribute to Jean, but provide meaningful benefits to the staff and patients at the ICC.”
“We really hope we have done Jean and her family proud, and we look forward to inviting them back to the ICC in the spring when the garden is in full bloom.”
EMS carried out all the groundwork, but also created the sensory board from scratch, with twigs, grass, and other textures for tactile stimulation, as well as creating a paved pathway leading to the memorial plaque, and sourcing many of the bulbs, plants, and birdboxes.
And staff and volunteers painted stones to display in the garden.
The garden includes bird, bee, and bug houses; window bird feeders and stakes; painted pebbles; benches sanded and painted by the Rise Academy team; and a sensory board.
The garden features pebbles painted by members of the Citycare team
