Residents of a Fife care home have been given a place to enjoy the great outdoors thanks to a new sensory garden filled with flowers grown specially to suit their needs.
The Lumphinnans Care Village project was made possible after a huge fundraising effort fronted by the Fife Sensory Gardens group.
They raised around £50,000 to make the garden a reality.
Arbroath FC boss Dick Campbell spearheaded the appeal with local fundraiser Ron Shevas after seeing first hand how gardens can help people with dementia when his late mother had the condition.
The Lumphinnans garden is the second he has helped open in her memory.
Dick Campbell.He thanked everyone who had supported the campaign, adding: “It’s the community that has paid for this.”
The garden was designed and planted by students from SRUC Elmwood Campus and includes wooden planters and a pergola made by the Community Payback Team.
Among those attending the official opening ceremony were residents, family and friends, care village staff, fundraisers, representatives from Fife Health and Social Care Partnership, Fife Council and the college, and youngsters from Lumphinnans Primary School.
Mr Campbell said:Â “My mother passed away with dementia 10 years ago and that’s how it all started.
“Sensory gardens help people with the illness. There’s running water, colours, flowers. It involves all the senses, which can help someone with dementia.”
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The football manager previously raised funds for a sensory garden at the Jean Mackie Centre in Dunfermline, which his mother visited after her diagnosis. It was opened in 2013.
Fundraising for the Lumphinnans garden has taken around four years.
“It’s taken 10 years to build two of them,” he said. “This one’s been going for four years and that’s it complete now.
“I’m very happy to see the garden finally open.”
Labour councillor David Graham, Fife Council’s health and social care spokesman, said: “The sensory garden is an excellent example of the community coming together to help set up facilities in their local community which will benefit the most vulnerable.
“We continue to see innovative projects like this being developed across Fife and this garden will be well used by the residents from the care village.
“My thanks go to everyone involved and to the staff who work in the home for their dedication to the residents they look after so well.”
