Minister of State for Disabilities, Anne Rabbitte T.D., visited Ballymacool Respite House in Letterkenny today to meet with children and adults enjoying the new sensory garden.
In February 2022, Ballymacool Respite House was successful in its application to the Strengthening Disability Services Scheme receiving €20,000 to develop a sensory garden. The sensory garden has been a work in progress over the past two years and is nearing final completion.
The Minister took time out to view the garden and to speak with service users and staff at Ballymacool Respite House. She commented “It is wonderful to get the opportunity to visit Ballymacool Respite House and to experience first hand this beautiful sensory garden and how it benefits all who use the services. This was made possible not alone by the Strengthening Disability Services Scheme funding but also through the support of individuals using the service, their families, staff and the wider community.”
The sensory garden has a seating area so that those attending the service can relax outside surrounded by beautiful planting and lighting. The garden has a raised vegetable patch to grow some of the food and herbs used in meal preparation at the centre. It has a variety of plants in various planting areas to meet the sensory needs of those attending Ballymacool. It also has a mosaic wall that incorporates mirroring, bird houses that encourage the local wildlife to visit the garden and an area made with tyres which can be used for both play and planting.
The Ballymacool Respite House newly developed sensory garden. Photo Clive Wasson
The garden has a number of seating options for individuals with different needs, an art area to help those individuals further develop their creative side, a sensory train, creative lighting in a variety of areas filtered throughout the garden, a bubble machine, a mud kitchen, a balance beam, a sunken trampoline, a large bucket swing as well as a sound, texture and water corner bench.
Head of Disability Services for CH CDLMS, Edel Quinn, thanked the Strengthening Disability Services Scheme for the funding provided and all who have supported the development of the sensory garden. She said “The beauty of this sensory garden is its adaptability and ability to meet different needs at different times – sometimes those attending Ballymacool House need a garden to sit quietly in and recalibrate, sometimes they need a garden to have fun in and which allows them opportunities for physical activity, sometimes it’s a garden that provides for the need to have a creative outlet but mostly it’s a garden where one can just be oneself.”
Ballymacool Respite House is a designated centre run by the HSE in Community Healthcare Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan, Sligo (CH CDLMS). It provides respite care to children and adults with disabilities from Co. Donegal. Children and adults attend the centre on an alternating basis.
The centre is located on the outskirts of Letterkenny town with access to a variety of local amenities. The centre has access to its own transport to facilitate community-based outings and activities. Residents all enjoy single bedroom occupancy and share communal areas which include the kitchen/dining room, sitting room and the newly developed sensory garden. In addition to residents availing of overnight stays in Ballymacool Respite House, others attend the centre for day and evening respite support.
