Erskine Veterans Charity Unveils Newly Landscaped Gardens at Yarrow House, Bishopton

The Erskine Veterans Charity, Scotland’s leading Veterans’ charity, is proud to announce the opening of the newly landscaped Yarrow House gardens at The Erskine Home in Bishopton.

This exciting project, which will significantly enhance the quality of life for the 30 residents of Yarrow House, was made possible through a generous donation of £180,000 from the Mr & Mrs JMB Trust, alongside additional funding of £8,500 from the Chancellor of the Exchequer using Libor Funds.

An extensive work programme transformed a previously unusable inclined area into a safe, functional, aesthetically pleasing space. The redesign, expertly managed by RG Construction, HD Property Consultants, and Reform Landscape Architects, involved levelling the site and creating a network of illuminated pathways, seating areas, and an outdoor activities zone.

The new garden offers a range of features, including rest areas with benches along the paths and sensory lighting for evening enjoyment. Future additions, thanks to further donations, will include numerous raised flower beds filled with colourful, scented plants, a summer house, pergola, and games to enhance residents’ outdoor experience.

Derek Barron Erskine Director of Care said: “Without the kindness and generosity of our supporters the Yarrow House garden would have remained an inaccessible piece of ground, now we have a fully functional and safe area for our residents to use. Residents, families, friends and staff will be able to explore and enjoy the garden for many years to come.

In particular the design of the long network of pathways, leading into one another means residents can find their way back to their living area with ease. The evening illumination of the gardens allows staff to use the space during a period of time which is sometimes difficult for those living with dementia. In addition the benches and seating areas means no one ever has to walk too far without being able to rest and enjoy the view of the garden. Additionally with the garden fully visible to staff residents wishing some private time can remain undisturbed whilst staying safe.

Finally the multipurpose outdoor activities area offers a wealth of opportunities for staff to expand their weekly activities calendars further, to include external activities for residents to enjoy in a safe environment. All of these factors combined with the sensory attributes so carefully blended into the design ensure we have a garden area fit for a very specific purpose of catering for those living with daily challenging conditions.

The benefits this garden area affords our residents cannot be understated, it has opened up a whole new world for many of our residents and for that we cannot thank all who made it possible enough.”

To find out more about Erskine Veterans Charity’s work please visit our website at www.erskine.org.uk, follow on twitter @ErskineCharity via Facebook www.facebook.com/ErskineVeteransCharity or listen to Erskine Veterans Radio at Erskine.org.uk/radio. To donate directly to Erskine, please visit Erskine.org.uk/donate.