YDC 102 Update - Sensory Garden, Dahl House

[cheaver]

Update YDC 102 Sensory Garden Project Dahl House

Hi Everyone

I paid into Janet's Trust the £500 cheque from Sucadot (raised by YDC 102 for the Sensory Garden Project) at a Russell Haldane Trust meeting on Monday 3rd Sept & obtained from RHT a cheque to present to Dahl House.
On Wednesday morning (5th) myself & Sucadot visited Dahl House to give them their £500 cheque. They were absolutely overjoyed & said how much they can do with that money to create their garden for the kids. Here is a picture I took of the concreted yard area to convert. We were promised updates as the work progresses. I shall post updates here as & when I get them.
Walls are to be painted with special paint the kids can draw on - and the kids will be "helping" with the painting too - they will be very much involved with the creation of their special place.
I have received the following email of thanks to everyone who participated from Debbie Bonney (Manager at Dahl House) as you can see below.
With many, many thanks to Sucadot for nominating Dahl House & to everyone who contributed to this very special need.

> Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2012 12:36:16 +0100
> From: debbiebonney@sandcastlecare.co.uk
> To: elizabeth........@hotmail.co.uk
> Subject: Thank you - Dahl House
>
> Dear Susan (Sucadot) & Elizabeth (Cheaver)
>
> On behalf of the staff and children at Dahl House we would like to say
> a 'BIG' Thank You for the £500 raised by everybody towards our Sensory
> Garden. We are so pleased about the effort everyone put into raising
> this money and really appreciate the support. We will now proceeed with
> stage one of the project and we will keep you updated on our progress.
> Once again thank you so much.
>
> Kindest Regards
> The Children and Staff at Dahl House
>

[cheaver]

..

The picture is obviously of the yard in its original state - work has yet to commence.

[adruml]

Can't wait to see progress pictures, always been my favorite to watch a project go from start to finish. Do they have everything planned out yet?

[cheaver]

The 2 walls not in the picture are vertical fenced with the framework on the inside. The first job is to wavy lap the framework so that the children can't climb on it. Then I think it is clear the yard and start painting ..... I think!

They are hoping to put a pergola of sorts up - so they can suspend sensory items from it and also to shelter under it - but a safety assessment has to be made first. Again, it's the fear of climbing up it that is the problem.

Yes, I am looking forward to seeing it as it progresses too. Sadly the weather is awful here so I don't know how far they can get before winter sets in.

Their cheque should have cleared by now I should think - so I am hoping that they can make a start soon.

Hopefully they should have something really nice for the kids by Spring time or shortly
after. That would be really good.

[Oldandintheway]

After seeing that photo, I'm so glad I made my small contribution to the project.
Obviously, a very deserving charity, & I'm looking forward to seeing the after shots.
Hope the kids enjoy & get some benefit out of it.

[cheaver]

After seeing that photo, I'm so glad I made my small contribution to the project.
Obviously, a very deserving charity, & I'm looking forward to seeing the after shots.
Hope the kids enjoy & get some benefit out of it.

Thank you so much. The kids are so excited - a proper garden of their own, with seats and a table, plants in pots, sensory items to look at and touch - and with walls they can write on - Staff don't know whether the walls will get more paint on them or the kids!

[ropegg]

After seeing that photo, I'm so glad I made my small contribution to the project.
Obviously, a very deserving charity, & I'm looking forward to seeing the after shots.
Hope the kids enjoy & get some benefit out of it.

Me too ---- it wasn't much but it is amazing what can be done with a lot of small bits when added together. Thanks again to Sucadot for her choice and to Cheaver for all her efforts. It is amazing what God can transform that money into.


Blessings on the project too.

[cheaver]

Do they have everything planned out yet?

I should have included this in reply also - my apologies....

An email I received re the planning and about Dahl House & the kids...

> Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2012 14:11:55 +0100
> From: debbiebonney@sandcastlecare.co.uk
> To: elizabeth...............@hotmail.co.uk
> Subject: Sensory Garden Project - Dahl House
>
> Hello Elizabeth,
> Further to our discussion at our recent meeting in relation to a
> Sensory Garden for Dahl House, please find below the information you
> requested:
>
> About Dahl House:
> Dahl House is a Residential Chuldren's Home for Children and Young
> People with Moderate to Severe Learning Disability, some children may
> also have Autism. The children placed at Dahl House are aged 8years upto
> 18 years. We work very closley with the children's families, the local
> Special Needs Schools, Social Services and Health Workers. As we are a
> new service we continue to develop the home in order to meet the
> individual needs of the children.
>
> Sensory Needs:
> Children with Learning Disabilities and in particular children on the
> Autistic Spectrum have heightened sensory needs. We would like to
> develop a Sensory Garden for the children (at present we have a yard to
> the rear of the building, which is not very inviting for the children)I
> am in the process of setting the sensory garden as a project for a
> couple of our staff - the staff in question are ..............................
> The remaining staff team will also contribute their ideas to the
> project.
>
> Sensory Garden:
> As stated above the currently have a yard to the rear of the house, to
> develop this area into a sesnory garden I envisage this would need to be
> accomplished in stages (especially as the winter months are fast
> apporaching).
> Stage 1
> will require the following:
> The rear fencing will need feather boarding (to prevent the children
> climbing over the fence) approx 35 pieces of feather board - cost =
> approx £ 35.00
> The walls will need painting - approx 2 cans of textures masonry paint
> = approx 25.00
> a garden bench/ table will be needed - cost = approx £100.00
> Stage 2
> We will need to identify what is on the market for providing a safety
> surface. Costs etc to be identified yet.
> A Pedoga will be required - purchase and fitting - cost to be
> identified
> Wooden Planters and Plants (for sensory needs = smell& tactile) - cost
> to be identified
> Stage 3
> We will need to idenitify different lights and maybe a very small water
> feature - costs to be identified.
>
> Elizabeth there will most likely be other areas I have not considered
> yet, but once the project group get together I will be able to be more
> specific.
>
> I would like to take this opportunity to THANK you and your associates
> for the interest and help you have shown, we do very much appraciate
> this.
> Kindest Regards
> Debbie
>
> Debbie Bonney
> Registered Manager
> Dahl House

[adruml]

Dang!!! I feel like an Associate!

[sucadot]

Me too ---- it wasn't much but it is amazing what can be done with a lot of small bits when added together. Thanks again to Sucadot for her choice and to Cheaver for all her efforts. It is amazing what God can transform that money into.


Blessings on the project too.

Having seen that drab concrete yard for myself Ropegg, I'm delighted that all our small contributions added together will make such a big difference - thanks again everyone