A healthy development: growing patches

Last month Parkhaven Trust received planning permission for our revised extra care housing scheme which comprises 24 apartments. This is being developed in partnership with Arena Housing. It is a very exciting scheme which is part of our wider vision for the Trust of a health and social care park. Already the site has a GP surgery in the grounds, a nursery and a cricket pitch which is used by the local 3rd and 4th teams, and a one mile path which the local community can access. The extra care housing is another important piece of the jigsaw as are the growing patches for use by the local community.

This development is particularly timely and apposite. Firstly because of the demand for growing patches (allotments) and secondly because exercise and good diet are considered important in preventing dementia. Thus people from our local community can enjoy growing fresh fruit and vegetables, exercising whilst doing it and enjoying a healthy diet and thereby hopefully staving off the onset of dementia. Parkhaven Trust is determined to be at the forefront of new developments such as the extra care housing scheme for people with dementia, listening to and engaging with our local community as well as playing their part in prevention of a very debilitating disease.

Hilary Rowland
24.08.09