Bedford Borough Council awarded funding for new Sensory Garden

Bedford Borough Council have received £40,000 from the East London Foundation NHS Trust to develop a sensory garden in Russell Park. The garden will provide a relaxing space for children and young people with special educational and mental health needs, improving their mental and social well-being.

Mayor Dave Hodgson said "We are very pleased to have been granted this funding, to allow for an inclusive area that will benefit all visitors. This garden will create a positive and stimulating environment, improving mental health and accessibility for all users of the park."

The new Sensory Garden in Russell Park will be located on the site of the existing Time Garden. It will create a space of refuge and calm in the heart of the town, including the design of a collage that will be coproduced with various local special schools, dementia and mental health service users and a local artist, to ensure a sensory space is created by those intended to use it. It will include a wide variety of sensory experiences, to stimulate sight, smell, hearing and touch, designed to be therapeutic to those who may not usually encounter these senses in combination. Russell Park has also been identified as the site for an inclusive play park (opening in Summer 2022). This new funding, in addition to the newly approved funding for the Changing Places toilets, ensures that an accessible day out can be experienced by all.

Liberal Democrat Newnham Ward Councillor Jake Sampson said "Thank you to Mayor Dave, the SEND team and those who are helping to create this much needed space. I have had several residents come to me to ask for an area like this to be accessible to all in Bedford and I am very thankful that these ideas can be implemented in such a positive way. It is so important that we continue to promote accessibility and inclusivity for those who need support with disabilities and mental health."