Apr 28 2011: A blooming great effort delights residents' senses

 EVERYTHING in the garden’s lovely at the Housteads Residential Care Home…thanks to staff at one of Sheffield’s biggest law firms, Sheffield University students and charitable organisation Business in the Community.

Housteads, in Richmond Park Grove, Richmond, is one of the 11 residential care homes in Sheffield run by Sheffcare, the organisation that cares for more than 400 people across the city.

And now the Housteads residents can enjoy the pleasures, sights and fragrances of their own sensory garden after former Sheffield University student and current Sheffcare employee Jodie Cole embarked on an ambitious green-fingered community project.

Jodie, who works in the Sheffcare Business Development Team, set the ball rolling by contacting Jon Burchell of the University of Sheffield Management School and asking him to get students involved in the sensory garden scheme.

Jon in turn got city law firm Irwin Mitchell on board, together with charity organisation Business in the Community, who both agreed to provide help and support for student team leaders.

Along with a grant from the Church Burgesses charitable organisation, students also mounted their own fundraising campaign and even persuaded the city centre Ha Ha Bar and Grill to donate four sets of patio tables and chairs.

Students and Irwin Mitchell volunteers then carried out the hard work of setting out, constructing and planting the new garden.

“The team raised more than £2,000 in total,” said Jodie. “They still have part of that left, which is due to be spent on a pergola to act as a main feature of the garden.

“They also plan to commission some maintenance work to ensure the garden will be kept looking fresh – and the residents can also be involved in he gardening work if they wish.”

David Minton, the manager of the home, said the volunteers had all worked together very well and that residents were now enjoying the benefits of their new garden.

Sheffcare’s Chief Executive Duncan Bell commented: “We saw this as an excellent way to involve one of our homes in the local community.

“It was also a great way to give students the opportunity to develop their skills in project management, fundraising and manual work, providing them with valuable volunteering experience that can demonstrate their employability and selflessness to potential employers, particularly in this difficult economic climate.

“Housteads already boasts an "excellent" rating from the Care Quality Commission and the new garden has further improved the facilities for our residents.

“If you would like to see if Housteads would suit you or a relative, David would be delighted to show you round at any time to suit you. You can make an appointment by calling 0114 2692469 or just pop in."

www.sheffcare.co.uk

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