RESIDENTS at a Tyneside care home have thanked pupils for brightening up their sensory garden.
Year 9 students at Longbenton Community College, with help from teacher Jane Younger, designed two colourful wall murals for Windsor Court Care Home, in Wallsend, North Tyneside.
Earlier in the term, staff at the home asked the school if they would be interested in working on an outdoor arts project that would give the residents a nice place to sit and relax.
The pupils visited the Hatton Gallery for inspiration and then studied maps of Newcastle and Wallsend. From this, they have produced two murals which show an aerial view of the areas with recognisable landmarks.
The murals were painted at the school using acrylic paints on sheet metal before being varnished and were then mounted on the garden walls.
Linda Gonzalez, manager of Windsor Court, said: “We are developing a sensory garden and these very colourful murals attract the visual senses as well as providing an excellent topic of conversation.
“Our residents and visitors are enjoying spotting places they recognise and we all see something new every time we look at them as the detail is so varied.
“We are absolutely delighted with the murals and want to say a huge thank you to all involved. The visual stimulation provided by the murals will form an integral part in the sensory experience of our garden, which has been proven to benefit people with dementia.
“It’s great that we can build up relationships with local schools as interaction between the young and the elderly is mutually beneficial.”
Northumberland
