PEOPLE of all ages with learning disabilities can now enjoy their own creative sensory space at the Ardagh Community Hub, thanks to an initiative led by the My Bristol Community Action Group, run by SENDaWelcome.
The aim is to enable those with learning disabilities to design, deliver and maintain their own accessible outside space, engaging in volunteer roles and developing skills in gardening, arts and DIY.
The idea was born back in the spring in response to feedback; people with learning disabilities and their parents/carers wanted more low-cost activities that were able to accommodate individual needs.
Describing the thinking behind the project, Laura Hindmarsh, inclusive community development lead of the action group, explained: “We want the space to be open to everyone, focusing on integration and raising awareness. Those involved in its creation and maintenance can feel a sense of ownership, that they have done this themselves.”
The completion of the summer project was due to be marked with an official Open Day on August 30. One of the most impressive structures was a planter installation, produced in conjunction with the Splinters woodworking group from The Brandon Trust – a wooden construction hung with mobiles and surrounded by plants. The structure will host a ‘memory tree’ with beautiful, honey-scented flowers. An A-Z of poems written by a lady with learning difficulties was also set to be celebrated on the day.
The sensory trail includes a freestanding sensory wheel filled with ball-bearings (funded by local solicitors, Barcan & Kirby), planting areas opened out for a range of aromatic herbs, tactile boards, dedicated quiet spaces and a variety of different materials to touch and feel. One parent of a volunteer said: “Other play spaces may suit his wheelchair needs, but are often too noisy. This quiet space is just what he needs.”
The project will continue to evolve. Further volunteering opportunities will facilitate new friendships, combating social isolation and loneliness; inclusive on-site activities such as Sensory Storytime will attract families and individuals to make new connections; while specific Activity Days will cater to those with dementia, autism and sight impairments.
Laura concluded: “The whole project has been so well received, with so many wonderful organisations involved to make it a real community effort. We want the familiarity of those with learning difficulties to become the norm, with our aim of ‘integrate, not segregate’.
Further information on the site’s development will be made available in easy-read format on the website www.sendawelcome.co.uk.