Projects

Westminster School

Completed: 2020
Location: Rowley Regis
Region: West Midlands
Other local partners: Wickes, Rowley Regis Hospital and The Careers & Enterprise Company

About the project

Westminster School, based in Rowley Regis, selected a VIY project day with funding from the Careers & Enterprise Company virtual wallet fund. VIY received funding to deliver over 400 employability activities to schools across the country including assembly visits, employability workshops and project days. Schools had the choice to run their project days on the school site or in the local community. Westminster School selected The Rowley Regis Hospital as the location for the VIY project which is part of a long-term partnership between the school and the hospital which will see students work on future projects at the hospital.

15 pupils from Westminster School, which caters for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), spent a day renovating the garden at the hospital.  The garden has been designed for dementia patients to enjoy during their stay at the hospital. Over the duration of the project, the students built two planters for the garden and painted the existing furniture blue; which has been shown to aid dementia patients through its calming hues.

Our Dementia Friendly Garden project is still in its infancy and is very much dependent on the goodwill and commitments of local volunteers to support the dedicated team of hospital staff. Westminster School and Your Trust Charity will oversee the progressions and development of the project over the next 12 months. We’re hoping that the gardens will be brought to life to reflect the changing seasons for the benefit of our elderly patients, many of whom are severely ill with dementia. Edward Edmead, Staff Member at Rowley Regis Hospital