The “Forget-me-Not” garden came to fruition thanks to the efforts of volunteers and was completely financed by charitable funds and donations.

A substantial contribution of £20,000 was made towards the garden project by the Friends at Broomfield Hospital as part of the organisation’s ongoing aim to make life better at the hospital for patients, visitors and staff.

Fran Hodby, dementia specialist at Broomfield Hospital said: “The garden is already making a huge difference, helping patients with dementia have a more positive experience when they are in hospital.

“Getting outside into the fresh air gives them a break from being on the wards, lowers stress levels and it means that patients with dementia can be reminded of things they did in their younger days.”

Patients are now able to enjoy relaxing walks around the garden, which includes a garden room, seating, a pergola and an evocative sculpture of a young girl skipping. The patients will also be able to enjoy activities including gardening groups and pet therapy.

The garden was designed by Michael Ekers who won a competition among Writtle College students to come up with a concept for the project. His design transformed a former uninviting courtyard area into a beautiful space, including a safe circular path and a soothing green and white palette of drought resistant and shade tolerant plants.

The Forget-me-Not garden project was led by members of Chelmsford’s 41 Club part of the Round Table family.
A total of 20 tons of shingle had to be removed at the start of the project and volunteers from the 41 Club put in hundreds of hours of work ranging from project management to construction and planting.

They were helped by volunteers from other groups including Round Table, Rotary, Tangent and Essex Boy’s and Girl’ Clubs.
Doug Pinkney from the 41 Club said: “It was hard work, but very rewarding and there was a lot of good humour involved.”

Alison Douglas, chairman of the Friends at Broomfield Hospital said: “We are delighted to have been able to make such a significant contribution towards such a worthwhile project. The end result is a credit to all the volunteers who put in such an immense amount to work and it is something that will be of lasting benefit for patients with dementia.”

The charities team is calling on its generous fundraisers to rally together and reach the £50,000 total it needs to create another tranquil space for patients to enjoy.

Based in Baddow Ward, it will be designed to complement the care of people who have a diagnosis of dementia. Specialist choices will be made to create a peaceful environment from calming colour schemes to beautiful greenery and reminders of times gone by.
While £36,500 has already been raised for the project by the Trust’s charity, the team is seeking donations to meet its target and bring the garden to fruition.

This follows the success of the forget-me-not garden – based in a courtyard in the Braxted Ward of Broomfield Hospital – which was opened in April after more than a year of hard work from keen volunteers. The project cost £70,000 in total, with contributions from The Friends at Broomfield Hospital (£15,000), V Festival (£10,000), and J W Steele & Sons Ltd (£3,000), with the remainder donated by the Trust’s charity and other generous supporters.

The Trust’s charity is also celebrating the introduction of The Daily Sparkle to the wards – a newspaper which is designed to provide information and entertainment for the elderly and people with dementia. Featuring articles, quizzes and old news stories, its aim is to stimulate the mind and improve memory.

Funded by The Friends at Broomfield Hospital, the team at MEHT began distributing the title to patients in May after seeing how popular it was at Southend University Hospital NHS Trust.

Julie Green, dementia specialist, said: “The Daily Sparkle helps as a conversation starter – often it will make people with dementia feel much more confident. We have had some really positive feedback about it.

“The impact of the garden has been absolutely massive – access to an outside space is so important for everybody. The whole design is completely safe for patients so they don’t have to have somebody with them when they go out. You just see them take a deep breath of fresh air and calm instantly. It has been one of the most positive things I have seen in dementia care.
“The first garden was about open space and freedom and it has a circular route. The second garden will be very different and will be divided into circular rooms. It will be calming and patients will be able to have the option of both gardens. I would love to show people what a difference it makes.”

Barbara Coupe, vice chairman of The Friends at Broomfield Hospital, said: “The forget-me-not garden is a place where elderly people can go outside in a calm environment with pictures up of things that they might recognise from the old days. We all thought it was a wonderful, worthwhile thing to do.”

Yvonne Carter, charities manager, said: “We are always extremely grateful for the support that we receive from our generous, committed fundraisers.

“The forget-me-not garden has been very popular with our patients here at Broomfield Hospital and we will be pleased to receive donations for our new project. We hope to enhance the lives of our patients with another peaceful outside space in which to spend time.”

The Daily Sparkle newspaper

Mid Essex Hospitals Trust is delighted to have subscribed to The Daily Sparkle newspaper.

The Daily Sparkle is a newspaper which is full of articles, quizzes, old news stories, gossip, puzzles, sing-alongs and entertainment geared towards stimulating the mind and improving memory. The ‘Broomfield Daily’ will be launched on 27th May 2016 and will support meaningful activities plans for patients with dementia and reminiscence therapy. The Dementia Steering Group is very grateful to the Friends of Broomfield who have kindly funded this exciting resource.