Green Therapy

Being outdoors or in our gardens relaxes us, connects us with nature and brings meaningful activity into our lives.

The natural environment engages all of our senses, helping us to be mindful and to live in the moment. People living with Dementia, can often only live in the moment and so the enrichment that outdoors brings is the perfect way to bring a sense of fulfilment to that moment.

Benefits of Social and Therapeutic Horticulture

Spending time in the natural environment of a garden has been shown to have many beneficial and restorative effects. A large body of evidence demonstrates a variety of benefits that include:

Psychological restoration
Increased general mental well-being
Improvement in dementia-related symptoms
Improved self-esteem, confidence and mood
Increased attentional capacity and cognition
Improved happiness, satisfaction and quality of life
Sense of peace, calm or relaxation
Feelings of safety and security
Increased social contact, inclusion and sense of belonging
Increase in meaningful activity and personal achievement
Improved sleep
Improved activity levels
Improved awareness – Multi-sensory engagement and associated joy
Increased verbal expression

Our programme across the week includes many opportunities to engage in green therapy. Feel free to drop into any activities that interest you or contact us for more information.

All sessions held at Alton Assembly Rooms unless otherwise stated.

Please note the programme may change slightly from time to time to suit requests from the membership and to accommodate additional activities.

Tuesday

13:15 – 14:15 Wellbeing Walk (weather permitting) – accessible stroll to a nearby location of natural interest such as Kings Pond or Flood Meadows

Wednesday

13:00 – 15:30
Visit to Sensory Garden (Town Park) or Horticulture / Games
On the Green at Assembly Rooms / Sowing seeds or potting on for our Allotment or Window boxes

Thursday

10:00 – 11:00
Wellbeing Walk (weekly – weather permitting)
accessible stroll to a nearby location of natural interest such as Kings Pond or Flood Meadows

13:00 – 15:00
Meet at Centre to be transported to Allotment (near Wooteys Estate) to help maintain our vegetable crops

10:00 – 14:00
Nurture at Alice Holt
on the third Thursday of each month

Saturday

10:00 – 15:30
Flourish at Alice Holt
on the first Saturday of the month from March to Dec

Sat/Sun

Community Events Community Events held in Town Park or other outdoor locations – We attend to encourage and support our members to attend see our Special Events calendar for more information

Day Trips

Thursdays are usually chosen for day trips and special events during the week –– to find out about forthcoming events please call into the Assembly Rooms to find out about day trips for registered members OR check our Special Events Calendar for events open to all

Horticulture a Confidence Booster...

One of our members with Young Onset Dementia enjoys keeping busy in all of our horticultural sessions, especially the Allotment. Being outside in nature and engaging in such a worthwhile activity is very empowering. Her knowledge of horticulture and physical gardening skills are put to great use as an effective confidence booster.

85 and Still Keeping Active...

One of our members, at the ‘ripe age’ of 85 years, just loves to keep active, especially in our gardening sessions, where she single-handedly makes sure that our raised beds at the Train Station and the window boxes outside Alton Assembly Rooms always look their best. Her inherent sense of pride for her own community is clear with the boundless energy she demonstrates as a key member of our Wednesday Wellbeing Gardening Gang.

Book your First Meeting

We’re here to help you. Book a relaxed informal meeting with our team to talk about support, ask questions or just have a chat.

No Pressure – Just a Friendly Conversation
For you, a family member or someone you care for
We’ll contact you in 1-3 days to confirm your appointment

Prefer to talk now? Call us on 01420 551455

Please fill out the form to book your first meeting. We’ll get back to you in 1-3 days to confirm your appointment.