A revamped community dementia garden has been unveiled in Doncaster during Dementia Action Week thanks to £6,500 of funding from charity.
The garden, based outside St Catherine’s House, a Grade II listed building, on the Tickhill Road Hospital site, has been jointly created with the dementia charity Donmentia and Flourish, a not for profit community enterprise.
The garden includes plants which are multi-sensory to prompt memory recall by appealing to all of the senses, sight, smell, touch, sound and even taste, thanks to the use of herbs and edible produce grown in the raised beds.
The garden was initially established in 2015, but ten years on was desperate for a revamp. Already new seating is in place, with wind chimes, bird feeders and new planting, and a new fountain has been put in the garden. In the next few weeks more grasses will be planted, and the paving will be cleaned.
The money has come from a range of charities, with £3,000 coming from Your Hearts and Minds, the charity for Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH).
The garden was launched by RDaSH’s Director of Strategy, Joanne McDonough, who oversees the Your Hearts and Minds Charity. She said: “I’m so pleased to be launching the dementia garden for not only our patients but also people in the community to enjoy. Supporting people and their families to live well with dementia is important to our charity and I hope this garden goes some way to bringing joy to people with dementia and their loved ones. It’s such a pleasant place to come and spend time, enjoying the sights and smells of the flowers and plants.”
Eileen Harrington, founder of Donmentia, said: “It’s lovely to see the garden reinvigorated for people to enjoy.”
Published: June 09, 2025