About 20 months ago a local builder kindly built us some raised beds and paved the area for us to create a garden. The courtyard at Ampthill has always been well used and especially in the summer with water tables, sand pits and games but we felt whilst we had hanging baskets we didn’t have any planters and were missing a trick.
The introduction of the garden has taken a while to become established but already at the start of this summer it is enabling us to initiate some Great Interactions with the people we support. It’s been surprising how everyone has managed to be involved in the project, whether it be watering, weeding or planting. It has given us the opportunity to encourage people to do tasks they haven’t done before. This ranged from a couple of minutes watering plants to half an hour weeding depending on the person’s wishes, but it has given us an extra daily activity to create new interaction opportunities.
So what’s next? Well, we are now going to build a bug hotel! This is an idea that came from a group learning about insects in one of our sessions. Groups have been walking to the local wood to get the stuff they need to do this. We have also been donated some large pallets which we are going to convert into plant holders for a new herb garden.
It’s all go here and with good facilitation, who knows what we can achieve together?!
Robin Barnes
Frontline Manager, Ampthill LLL
