New Bristol garden for disabled people unveiled

A new sensory garden for people with disabilities and their carers has been created at Bristol’s Hartcliffe Millennium Green.

The calming and welcoming space will enable visitors to experience the wellbeing benefits of time in nature and enjoy the sight, sound, fragrance and texture of carefully chosen plants.

Grassroots charity Your Park Bristol & Bath has overseen the project and been supported by National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED), which has not only provided funding but a team of Bristol-based staff volunteers who carried out the planting.

Their work kicked off the second year of a partnership between NGED and Your Park Bristol & Bath, which is committed to transforming green spaces for nature so everyone can access their many benefits.

As well as volunteers, NGED is providing funding to support the charity’s ambitious Reimagining Parks campaign to create safer, more nature rich and inclusive parks across Bristol and Bath.

The sensory garden is part of Your Park’s wider transformation of Hartcliffe Millennium Green, turning the under-used park into a hub of accessible facilities, natural habitats and community-led activities.

Emily Green, NGED’s volunteering & sponsorship co-ordinator, said: “Seeing our team create a sensory garden that will bring comfort and connection to so many people is incredibly rewarding.

“We are proud to be supporting Your Park for a second year and look forward to seeing how together we can boost wellbeing and inclusion by improving urban green spaces.”

Amber Fisher, Your Park’s partnerships manager, said: “We’re so excited to be working with NGED again this year. Their team’s passion and willingness to get stuck into making parks better places for all is second to none.

“Your Park’s vision is for everyone to benefit from parks’ transformative health benefits. With continued backing from partners like NGED, that vision is becoming reality.”