Garden donations needed for dementia hospital volunteer project

04 Mar 2020

Our Volunteering and Community team need your help if you have unwanted garden pots or bulbs, and donations of compost

The team of staff and student volunteers has been working at Monet Lodge in Withington since the start of semester 1. One of our University’s construction partners, VINCI, became involved, with their staff volunteering and donating garden furniture, plants, paint and decorative items. Since then, the team has fixed fence panels, installed planters, benches and bird tables, and painted the fence in really bright colours. The garden is as interesting and visually vibrant as possible to help with the sensory stimulation of the residents. The area has also been made safer by clearing overgrown bushes and cleaning mossy, slippy paths. 

The team have continued to maintain the garden, litter picking the site, adding more plants and finishing off the fence. They are now hoping to turn their attention to an area at the back of the hospital which is a bit of an eyesore.

Volunteering and Community Engagement Executive Frances Muscatelli says: "We need pots, plants, bulbs etc, basically anything that will help us brighten it up for the patients, staff and visitors. We have a shed on campus where we can store things and I am happy to meet staff to collect any bits they have to donate.

"We are hoping to do our next volunteer day on 18 March, but could potentially accept things beyond that point for future use."

• If you are able to help with any garden donations, please contact Frances.