Helen McCarroll

Disabled people in Warwickshire were delighted to receive five saplings as part of the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy.

Helen Anson, manager of St Catherine’s Bungalows which are home to sixteen people with complex care needs, was one of 10,000 lucky people who snapped up the saplings given out for the Queen’s Commonwealth Cannopy (QCC) project.

As part of the project 50,000 trees are being planted in communities across the UK and it aims to create a vast network of protected forests across the UK and the Commonwealth. 10,000 packs of saplings have been given out to applicants across the country for local projects to take part in the initiative.

Residents and staff at St Catherine’s Bungalows will become part of this unique project as they help plant the trees and care for them as they grow.

Helen and residents took delivery of their commemorative pack which contains UK-sourced trees – two silver birch, two rowan and a hazel – as well information and photographs of the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy project. People living at the bungalows, many of whom have complex disabilities, will help plant and care for them and see them grow and flourish.

Helen said:

For our residents it’s an excellent opportunity to create a lasting legacy that will benefit body and mind, as well as enriching the gardens now and in years to come. Planting the saplings and caring for the growing trees is good exercise and helps people with disabilities develop motor skills and improve their confidence.

The gardens and grounds around the bungalows are an important part of life at St Catherine’s – they’re a place where people can explore nature, tend plants, stimulate their senses or simply relax. Residents enjoy looking after the gardens, which contain accessible features such as raised beds, so they can get involved more easily. The saplings, provided by the Woodland Trust, are a welcome addition as the gardens continually change and grow under our residents’ care.

Run by social care charity, Father Hudson’s Care, St Catherine’s Bungalows are home to adults with a range of complex physical, sensory and learning disabilities. Residents are supported to live a fulfilling and more independent life of their choosing through care that focuses on their individual ambitions, aspirations and potential.

Image from http://www.fatherhudsons.org.uk.