Middleton Rotary Club create an accessible garden at Alkrington Community Centre

Middleton Rotary Club create a garden at Alkrington Community Centre

3 More Image(s) In Gallery

Middleton Rotary Club has been supporting the Moving On Centre in Alkrington to transform the garden area to make it more accessible to wheelchair users.  

With help from the Rotary International Foundation, the Middleton Club members have helped finance major path-laying activities and flower beds.

Stuart Sawle, Middleton Rotary Club, said: “When we began the garden project at the Alkrington ‘Moving On Service’ in the community centre, we called it a sensory garden. A more apt name would be ‘Activity Garden’ as this better reflects the aim and purpose of the Moving On service.

“Because of the emphasis on wheelchair access, we originally envisaged a rather static garden that could be enjoyed by disabled users of the community centre. What we now know is that a major purpose of the garden would be to provide therapeutic and rehabilitation activity for users of the centre – actively encouraging them to care for the garden themselves.

“The focus of our activity over the past 12 months or so has been to create a number of flower beds that users could enjoy and maintain. Most of the planting was done in the Autumn of 2017 and we have awaited the Spring 2018 to really appreciate the fruits of our activity.

“A path that has been laid to provide better accessibility for wheelchair users and the tables and chairs have been specially made higher and larger than normal to aid access from a wheelchair.

“Flower beds that have been created and raised planters which contain strawberry plans and will have beans growing up the trellis at the rear, other beds have planted with fragrant bushes.

“There is also a large poly-tunnel where users can nurture plans from seed before planting out in the garden itself.”

“The centre will need able-bodied help from time to time as some activities may be beyond the capabilities of the centre users.

“The centre manager has arranged for some volunteers to pop in from time to time to keep the garden manageable for its disabled users.”