Broughton Hall care home in Wrexham opens a new sensory garden

Broughton Hall care home in Wrexham, has celebrated the opening of its new Red Admiral Sensory Garden following a 12-month project supported by the Culture in Care project and led by residents, relatives, staff and Activities Coordinator, Jodie Hollinrake. The Mayor of Wrexham, Jeremy Kent, officially opened the garden at a special ceremony on Saturday 22nd August by cutting the ribbon, and residents, relatives, friends and staff enjoyed music from local performer Andy Snowden, alongside drinks and a barbecue.

Plans for the sensory garden began to take shape in Spring 2025, when residents were invited to create a garden-themed collage showing the features they would like to see. Their ideas remained central to the project throughout its development. Residents took part in a range of garden-themed creative activities, including pressing flowers into clay to make hanging decorations, transforming recycled cans into ladybird and bee bug houses, painting rocks, creating garden signs and making positivity ribbons.

In May 2025, Broughton Hall received support through the Culture in Care project, an Arts Council of Wales-funded project initiated by Making Sense CIO in partnership with the Wrexham commissioning team and PCP Dementia Coordinator, Kate Evans. Jodie worked with artist Ffion Evans, residents and Broughton Hall maintenance team member Rob to design and build a wheelchair-accessible planter using recycled pallet wood. Residents helped to cut the wood, hammer in nails and paint the finished planter.

A quiet, previously underused area of the grounds was chosen for the garden. GM Groundworks laid a new patio to create an accessible surface, while a potting shed was installed to provide residents with a dedicated space for gardening activities. An archway welcomes visitors, and a pergola provides a peaceful place to sit and enjoy the surroundings.

Residents helped sow seeds and paint the shed. Inspired by the skills she had developed while making the first planter, Jodie built two more from recycled pallets, which are used for the herb beds. The finished garden features a variety of plants and installations designed to stimulate sight, sound, smell and touch. The garden was named the Red Admiral Sensory Garden after the team noticed red admiral butterflies visiting throughout the project.

Jodie Hollinrake, Activities Coordinator at Broughton Hall, said:

“Working with the residents to create a space they could enjoy and feel involved with was always the goal. I feel honoured that our manager, Felicity, and the residents have trusted me to create this sensory garden. Seeing the Mayor cut the ribbon was a very special moment. A few of the residents and I shed tears of joy!

“We’re especially grateful to everyone who has supported our fundraising efforts; their generosity has turned the vision for the garden into reality. A special thank you to Ann, the daughter of one of our residents, who donated many of the plants and helped with the planting. The garden is a testament to the teamwork and generosity of the Broughton Hall community and to what can be achieved when residents are given the opportunity to shape the space they call home. I hope it brings joy and promotes the wellbeing of residents and staff, now and for many years to come.”

The new garden is already becoming a much-loved space for residents. Resident Mal said, “I enjoyed being a part of the creation of the sensory garden, especially the painting of the planters and shed. This was meaningful to me and something I would have done at home.” May described the sensory garden as “really nice and a relaxing space”, while Marjorie said: “It’s a big improvement.” Resident Eileen said: “The garden makes me feel happy. I enjoy having the space to gather my thoughts and relax. The highlight for me is smelling the lavender.”

Broughton Hall offers residential care, specialist dementia support, day care and flexible respite stays. Three spacious lounges provide room for group activities, entertainment and celebrations, and two bright sun rooms offer quieter spots to relax or chat. The fully-accessible gardens are level throughout with paths and seating areas.

To find out more about Broughton Hall, Gatewen Road, New Broughton, Wrexham, LL11 6YA, call 01978 758876.