Care Home Garden Makeover By Teen NCS Volunteers

YOUNG volunteers from Nottingham spent a week helping care home residents living with dementia.

The Future Foundations National Citizenship Service (NCS) spent time at Longmoor Lodge Care Home, in Sandiacre, as part of their social action project.

The 15 to 17 year olds renovated the home’s garden, adding a vegetable patch, colourful flowers, garden ornaments and a sensory table incorporating sight, hearing, smell and touch

The multisensory additions will be particularly beneficial for those living with dementia, said Samantha Ely, home manager.

She said: “We were delighted to be contacted by the Future Foundations NCS group, who were working on a dementia focused project and aiming to give something back to the community.

“When they explained their project to us, we jumped at the opportunity, and invited them to the home to work with our residents.

“We’d like to say a massive thanks to all those who took part. The garden looks great and the residents are already thoroughly enjoying it.”

To mark the end of the project, the NCS volunteers and staff at the home organised a tea party for residents and their family members.

“We had a great turnout to the tea party,” Samantha said. “It was a fitting end to a great project. We look forward to seeing them back at the home in future.”