Toyota Manufacturing UK Charitable Trust has donated £5,000 for a sensory garden at Rockhill, a supported living house in Flintshire for people with physical and learning disabilities.
Rockhill is home to two residents who are supported by learning disability charity Mencap, both of whom are wheelchair dependent and have sensory impairments.
Stacey Cartwright, a support worker at Rockhill, contacted Mencap about the project and was supported by Mencap’s area fundraising manager, Laura Bruce, to apply for funding for the garden.
Stacey said, “Our current garden at Rockhill isn’t accessible and I know that it would be a huge benefit to our residents with a learning disability, who would really enjoy and benefit from spending time in a sensory garden. With the support of Mencap, I was able to make the dream garden a reality.”
After consulting the residents of Rockhill, the garden will include a wheelchair accessible raised bed for elevated disabled gardening as well as a tactile path and water feature. Along with the residents of Rockhill, the wider community will also benefit from the garden, within Flintshire there are approximately 737 people with a learning disability living in community placements or private accommodation.
The Toyota Manufacturing UK Charitable Trust annually raises funds through employee and corporate fundraising for donations to charity, local organisations and good causes.
Jim Crosbie, Trustee for the Charitable Trust, and Deputy Managing Director at Toyota Manufacturing UK added,“It is a privilege to be able to support local people and organisations doing so much good work and making such a difference in the areas around our plants. At Toyota, it is important to us to be able to contribute to our local communities in this way.”
Laura Bruce, Fundraising Manager, went on, “We simply cannot thank Toyota enough for their kind and generous donation towards our sensory garden. This will change the lives of the people we support not just at Rockhill, but residents from our other local services.
“At Mencap, we are passionate about ensuring people with learning disabilities are treated equally. With the sensory garden, they can enjoy the activities and experiences just like everyone else.”