Sensory Garden Appeal

This year the Wilberforce Trust opened Wilberforce House. A beautiful complex of 30 purpose-built apartments for people with Sensory Impairment including those with other disabilities. There is also our community area hosting the Yorsensory Hub, Café and Bradbury Living and Learning Zone activities area for the public to enjoy.

Wilberforce House is built in a magnificent green space and this year we should like to develop the grounds into a Sensory Garden with plants for touch and smell, areas to sit for those peaceful and tranquil moments and interesting pathways to explore. Another area of raised beds to give opportunities for people for to experience the joys of gardening, to sow, grow and cook or display. And a further area for our Club Wilber children to be able to run around, have activities like Easter egg hunts and also experience for themselves the love of nature with a small nature trail.

We are launching our 2023 Sensory Gardens appeal hoping to raise £30,000 + to realise our garden and nature ambitions for not only people living and visiting Wilberforce House but for the whole community to come along and enjoy.

Why do we have this ambition?

It is known that Sensory Gardens enhance the wellbeing for people with disabilities, and green space is essential for all of us. For the people we support the gardens will be a fundamental part of their lives. Resin pathways for people unable to walk and wheelchair users, for others to wander the winding pathways and explore. A quiet place for calm with the enjoyment of smells and touch of the velvet leaves and the smell of herbs, lavender, and scents to stimulate well-being and enjoyment of safe open space.

Access to outdoors and spending time in nature for everyone is a key part of the support and care we give to our children, young people, and adults. To have areas where to get involved in planting and growing, feeling and smelling the plants and vegetables, gives people the feeling of achievement.

What are the gardens benefits?

We are all aware of the therapeutic benefits known to all of us and the sense of achievement that can be gained from gardening. An effective sensory garden has an intentional blend of natural and landscaped features, with differing heights and scents to stimulate smell and size.

Having a sensory loss can cause anxiety and can be triggered by unexpected noise, a disruption in routine, inaccessibility to places and many other things. A sensory garden is somewhere we can help alleviate that feeling of stress and stimulate our senses in a calm way.

What will your gift do?

Your gift will enhance the wellbeing of:

• Someone living with a sight or hearing impairment and with other disabilities.
• A busy person with sensory loss who likes to learn or practice a new skill, who gets pleasure from growing plants, flowers, or vegetables.
• Giving people beautiful outdoor space where they can have quiet sensory contemplation space.
• Families and friends can spend time together in the green outside space enjoying scented restful plants.
• Give children and understanding of nature through a nature trail and a learning environment.

To donate to our Sensory Garden Appeal then please click here