Corporate volunteers help create sensory gardens for Supportability

Volunteers who work at Astra Zeneca, Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership and Vitality UK used their time to create sensory gardens for Supportability clients in Stockport.

Based in Stockport, Supportability supports children, young people and adults with a wide range of complex physical and learning disabilities and welcomed corporate volunteers to its Day Centre in Heaton Moor, and its residential care home in Cheadle, to help transform outdoor spaces.

Sensory gardens help people with disabilities explore and experience the natural world around them. The colours, texture, smell and taste of fresh edible plants such as cherry tomatoes, red peppers, blueberries and more will all contribute to a holistic sensory experience; giving the people they support a greater sense of wellbeing.  

Corporate volunteers also did some weeding, pruning and tidying of the gardens, as well as re-painting the fences, sheds, walls, windows and railings in an array of bright colours to help Supportability clients with visual impairments to find their way around.  

The team at Turner & Townsend also gave the Computer Suite, an Office and Cookery Room at their Day Centre in Heaton Moor a new lick of paint. 

The efforts of the volunteers will ensure that their sensory gardens, outside spaces and interiors will be enjoyed by the people they support for years to come.  

Rob Cooper, one of the people that Supportability supports, said:  

“A big thank you to all the volunteers, who kindly gave their time to paint the garden, and emulsion and gloss the rooms we use at our daycare centre. I was impressed with how nice everything looks with a fresh coat of paint. A great job well done!”. 

Ivy Monjane Matenja from Turner & Townsend, said: 

“It was a pleasure to work with Supportability. We thoroughly enjoyed helping to paint the rooms, and it’s wonderful to know that our contribution made a positive impact.” 

There’s still plenty more to be done, and organisations looking to give something back to the local community can get in touch with Supportability to find out more about how they can help.