A dementia‑friendly garden created with our community
A new sensory garden has opened at Navigo’s older people’s inpatient mental health site, The Gardens, home to the Janine Smith Suite and the Konar Suite, creating a calm and uplifting outdoor space designed with the people who will use it.
The garden has been co-produced with service users, families, staff, volunteers and community members, ensuring it reflects real experiences, memories and needs.
The project was voted by Navigo’s staff and community members as one of their Projects of the Year, receiving up to £10,000 from Navigo’s official charity, the Gardiner Hill Foundation. As the work progressed, Navigo’s Admiral Nurses saw how much the space could support people living with dementia and donated an additional £6,000, allowing the team to include more sensory features and improve accessibility.
The design draws on research showing that green spaces and sensory-rich activities can help trigger positive memories, support orientation and improve mood for people living with dementia.
The garden was planned and developed with community members, volunteers, staff and service users from across Navigo — including individuals from Rehabilitation Services, who helped build bird boxes, and Your Place Grimsby, whose ethos of community creativity and belonging inspired their contribution of a bespoke bug hotel.
Local artists also played a key role. The Cleethorpes seafront mural was painted by Kathleen Smith, part of the Paint the Town Proud collective. The wooden Dock Tower sculpture, celebrating Grimsby’s fishing heritage, and encourage touch and reminiscence was created by Allen Stichler a woodcarving and tree sculpturer.
The garden also includes:
- An accessible entrance to support Admiral Nurses to access with carers
- Colourful perspex panels that reflects light across the space
- Sensory planting chosen for scent, texture, colour and even taste
- Forget-me-not petal drum, rain cyclone and water feature
Every element has been chosen to provide enrichment that improves care, guided by research into the benefits of sensory gardens for people living with dementia.
At the launch event, Jacqui Grant-Lloyd, Gardiner Hill Foundation Trustee and retired older people’s mental health nurse, shared her thanks with everyone involved:
“This space has been created with care, creativity and a shared belief in the power of nature to support wellbeing.
“I want to acknowledge the dedication of our project leads, volunteers, community members, staff, service users and everybody who contributed ideas, time and passion. Your collective effort has transformed this space into something truly special.”
During the celebration, resident Susie began playing You’ll Never Walk Alone and You Are My Sunshine on the garden’s “forget me not” steel drum. It was a perfect reminder of what the team’s hard work had been for. For everyone like Susie who will get real enjoyment out of the space and for families and carers who will create memories with their loved ones in this new dedicated space.
Staff, families and community members who have already spent time in the garden have shared their thoughts:
“An amazing project… exactly the type of space we would want for our own families.” — Janine Smith, Navigo’s Chief Operating Officer
“Engages the five senses so beautifully. WELL DONE!” — Freedom Nwokedi, Assistant Director and Nurse Consultant of Navigo’s Older People Services
“A truly wonderful job.” — Claire Avery, Community Representative and Non-Executive Director
“Beautiful garden, lovely opening.” — Steph & Denis, community members.
The sensory garden reflects Navigo’s commitment to providing services we would be happy for our own families to use. It offers a place where people can feel safe, soothed and connected, whether they are spending time with loved ones, taking part in therapeutic activities or simply enjoying a moment of peace.
Thanks to the volunteers, Gardiner Hill Foundation and the Admiral Nurses, the garden will continue to support wellbeing for years to come.