New Dementia Friendly Gardening Club in Preston wants to show that the diagnosis doesn't define you and gardening is an easy and fun thing to do

Small social enterprise Rosemary and Time began just before the pandemic to support those living with a diagnosis of Dementia or Alzheimers, by building upon social skills and helping them engage with easy activities with their loved ones in a group setting. The community interest group now wants to encourage individuals affected by the illness to come and garden for free in locations all around Preston.

The Dementia Friendly Gardening Club, funded by Postcode Lottery will welcome anyone with dementia and their family members. Sessions will be held in Longridge Library, Ellel Village Hall, Galgate, and Lancashire Recovery College L&SCFT next to the Minerva Centre, PNE, throughout various early-afternoon slots.

Donna Rowe-Green, the founder of Rosemary and Time, and who has been working within Social and Therapeutic Horticulture for over 20 years, said: "Gardening is just such an easy and fun thing to do. It's something people will have done before. We want to show people with dementia that just because they have had that diagnosis, that's not the end of things. That's not what is going to define them. There are so many things they can still do and gardening is one of them.”

“Around the time of the pandemic, we were really aware that people with dementia were particularly isolated and affected by being shielded. It had a big impact on people supporting loved ones with dementia.

"Now we’re starting to come out of it, I feel it’s really important to encourage people to come out and about and start mixing in the community again. Gardening also gives people something to do and a chance for those who are family carers to come together with others who are in the same situation as them to get some peer support that way. Being able to support each other that way is really important because people understand the problems they are going through”

The new gardening club members will be enjoying anything from planting up spring flowering bulbs to creating bird feeders while meeting people in the same situation, and sharing a brew and some chatter as well as taking home the fruits of their labour.

Donna said: “I use gardening as a way to just brighten up someone's day.

"It is important that those who have had a diagnosis of dementia and their loved ones have time together as husband and wife, Mother and daughter rather than as a person with dementia and carer. With our activities, we are aiming to give each person either something they can look after, rather than feeling that they are always being looked after, or something that they can give away as a gift (maintaining a 2-way relationship). Our aim is to show through simple activities just what is still possible and enjoyable despite having a diagnosis of dementia - something that does not define the person.

Rosemary and Time also run a Friday session for those with dementia, ‘Friday Friends’, where those affected are invited to ‘come and join us for some friendly conversation, activities, sing along and of course, tea and cake.’

To book yourself or a family member on to either session, you can email Rosemary and Time at [email protected].