Dementia-friendly allotment brings 'hope' to Bristol

The allotment has been renovated so that it is easy to access and "stimulating" for dementia sufferers

A dementia-friendly allotment has been opened to allow people to use the space for horticultural therapy.

Alive Activities opened the community allotment in Brentry, Bristol, to help dementia sufferers and their families.

The charity has been working on the site since 2019 to make it a "stimulating haven" for people with the degenerative illness.

Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees said the space will bring "hope" to the city.

The space was funded by local groups and businesses

Local groups, businesses and community members funded the project and volunteered their time to renovate the site.

Alive Activities has been organising therapeutic gardening sessions in Bristol since 2013.

The charity said the gardening space will give older people the chance to enjoy the benefits of having an allotment without the pressure of having to keep it maintained.

'Really special place'

The allotment features a compost loo, a large social shed, accessible beds, wheelchair-friendly pathways and plenty of seating which allows for gardening sessions to take place in all weather conditions and by people of all abilities.

Bristol City Council adult social services lead Helen Holland, said: "My head is buzzing with all the links we can make with different strategies, about our food strategies and about making the city more dementia-friendly.

"There are loads of ideas that are going to come from this and hopefully we'll soon see other similar projects across the city."

Mr Rees said: "It's a real honour to be in a place like this.

"It's really special to be creating a place that brings hope into the lives of individuals and their families."