Consultation to explore The Grow Project’s suitability for people living with dementia

An interactive consultation workshop will take place on Thursday 26 March at Inverness Botanic Gardens to explore how The Grow Project could be adapted to better support people living with dementia.

The workshop is being co-delivered by the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), in collaboration with Inverness Botanic Gardens.

Located in the Bught area of Inverness, the Botanic Gardens are open year-round and are a valued community resource. However, people living with dementia and their families can sometimes feel reluctant to visit outdoor environments.

The Grow Project provides practical horticulture opportunities for adults with additional support needs, promoting wellbeing, happiness and social inclusion.

Through a specially designed workshop, people living with dementia and their families will have the opportunity to visit non-public areas of the Botanic Gardens, experience the work of the Grow Project first-hand, and participate in a gardening activity together, followed by a hot soup lunch.

The aim of the workshop is to have a positive impact on physical, social and mental wellbeing while exploring how The Grow Project could be extended to benefit people living with dementia by helping them spend time outdoors in the city’s landmark garden.

Professor Anthea Innes, Professor of Health Services Research at the UHI Centre for Rural Health Sciences, who has extensive experience of working with people living with dementia, said:

“This is an early exploration with Botanic Gardens staff, UHI researchers and local people living with dementia and their families, to see what we could work on together to improve the lives of those living with dementia.”

Ewan Mackintosh, Manager of the Inverness Botanic Gardens said:

“We are excited to welcome people living with dementia and their families to The Grow Project and to offer them the opportunity to experience some of the activities we provide.”

The project is being funded by UHI and the Botanic Gardens as part of an ongoing commitment to explore how outdoor garden-based opportunities can be extended to people living with dementia.

➕ For more information about the research event, or to register interest (a few places remain), please contact: megan.dickson@uhi.ac.uk

➕  For more information about The Grow Project, visit: www.highlifehighland.com/attractions/inverness-botanic-gardens