Avondale Sensory Garden

Who We Help, Why We Help & the Difference It Makes

What We Do

What is Residential support?

Residential support is based on the right of people with learning disabilities, autism and complex needs to have control over the support they receive, who they live with and how they live their lives. We assume that each person can make choices about how to live their own lives, even if the person does not make choices in conventional ways.

Residential support is not a prescriptive model and can look very different for different people. Sometimes they may need 24/7 support where they live, while others will be supported through additional 1:1 hours. It always means that a person has their own private space as well as access to shared spaces with other residents. People retain access to broader community resources and support networks as they wish.

Enabling quality of life

Meeting each resident’s individual needs is our primary objective, but one shared need is in maintaining health and wellbeing. Eating a balanced diet, taking regular exercise, and serving a purpose are all part of feeling happy and able to cope with daily life stresses.

Volunteer

Avondale Sensory Garden hasn't yet completed the content for this section. Tell them you'd like to see this.

Community Trail

This project took place in 2023 and has now been completed. This project takes place in a residential setting so the location has been changed to protect the privacy of the residents.

Our Avondale service applied to the Innovation fund to help them to create a sensory garden for their 8 residents. They wanted to create a space that all residents would be able to access and invite their relatives and friends round to socialise in.

They planned to create:

• A wheelchair accessible swing
• A sensory walk around our garden that includes all senses; touch, see, smell and hear.
• A fairy garden, windchimes and dreamcatchers
• A wildlife area where we can encourage wildlife to come and visit
• we would like to start our own garden club were residents can plant and grow their own vegetables and flowers.
• We would like to also create an area to have a pet where residents can watch and help with the feeding

This project has had a really positive impact on the residents and it has transformed the space. They have encouraged residents to engage in the space and with the rescued pet Guinea Pigs that bring joy to the people we support. Over the summer the garden was transformed into a beach and the accessible swing for wheelchair users is now in place.