Allotment Week and our growing patches

This week is allotment week. It is particularly apposite for the Trust because finally after several years of waiting our allotments /growing patches are going to become a reality. There are no allotments for the people of Maghull at a time when growing your own has soared. The patches will be ready for the start of the next growing cycle. The project is being led by Richard Ayres our horticultural therapy manager.

A patch of land 75m x 50m has now been fenced and weeded (see picture below). It will soon be sown with clover to suppress further weed growth and create good growing conditions. There are 29 individual plots to be laid out, to around half the size of a standard allotment, either 100m2 or 130m2: they’re to be called ‘Growing patches’, to emphasise that they are not ordinary allotments. These plots have been allocated to the first 28 names on the waiting list: the 29th plot will be offered to a local charity. Two meetings with potential plotholders have been held.

Each plot will come equipped with a 2m x 2m potting shed, 2 compost bins, a water butt and shared use of a gravelled path: the intention is to create an orderly, well-equipped site with excellent growing conditions, landscaped with mixed native hedging and fruit trees. There will be a water supply (6 taps) and a composting toilet. Rules for plotholders which we discussed at the meetings will reinforce the maintenance of a peaceful, orderly environment, appropriate to the nature of the site.

This development is part of the Trust’s commitment to working with our local community. It will help promote the physical and mental health, diet and social inclusion of the people who live locally.

Hilary Rowland
Chief executive
11.8.11

The Countdown Begins

As the country counts down to the opening of the Olympics, only 365 days to the opening ceremony, we at Parkhaven are counting down to the opening of our new Dementia centre. This is an exciting £1.8 m development funded by the Trust, several generous charitable trusts and a small grant from the local authority. The centre is due to open in early November.

This centre will be the hub of a range of activities and services. It will include somewhere to come for day, to have a freshly cooked meal, somewhere to have fun and companionship, to take up or try new interests including baking, gardening, yoga and painting. The centre will be open 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. It will be there whenever it is needed.

There will also be a specialist service for younger people who have dementia. Again there will a range of activities to try and days out to enjoy. This will be a modern leading edge service. It will also have a dedicated respite service for young people. No longer will they have to access a respite service in a residential home designed for older people.

The centre will also provide respite for older people. It will move from our Kyffin Taylor home. The centre will also be the base for the short breaks service another form of respite and immensely popular.

Continuity of care, knowing who you care for is immensely important. Our services are designed with that in mind. So someone may come and spend the day with us, they may stay with us or go on a short break. They may also need help in their own home. One staff team trained to a high standard will care and support that person. In that way we know what they like, how they like things done, what their interests are; it is a truly person centred service. An excellent is not only about the staff and their skills and empathy but also about the environment. In November we will have a building to match the excellence of our staff team. So Parkhaven is also counting down…

Hilary Rowland
27.7.11