Dementia-friendly Alton officially re-opened the Sensory Garden in Alton’s Public Gardens on Saturday in the presence of MP and Dementia Champion Damian Hinds, mayor of Alton Pam Jones, and other councillors.

The Sensory Garden has been carefully renovated over the summer with the help of National Citizen Service students, who have spent many hours working hard to provide a garden which is safe and accessible for dementia patients to enjoy and a place for familiar activities such as weeding, digging and pruning.

As Alton has eased from the lockdown, this collaborative initiative with Alton Town Council has seen the raised beds renovated and replanted with plants and flowers which stimulate our sense of touch, sound, smell, taste and sight.

A welcome addition, situated close to the Sensory Garden in the Public Gardens, are brightly coloured ’Happy to Talk’ benches which have been installed to encourage people to stop for a chat and encourage conversations between people of all ages and communities to help tackle loneliness.

Dementia-friendly Alton will be hosting a social and horticultural meeting at the Happy to Talk benches every Sunday from 2.30pm to 4.30pm. Gazebos will be on hand to ensure wet weather won’t stop proceedings.

Anyone is welcome to pop along and join them for some weeding and pruning whilst having a chat.

Colourful Happy to Talk benches, a partnership project between Alton Town Council and Abri involving several local groups, have also been installed at the Assembly Room lawns and in Market Square.