A SENSORY garden is a welcome addition to a £500,000 update of a Poole extra care housing scheme.

Poole Mayor, Cllr Ann Stribley officially launched the re-vamped Belmont Court in Upper Parkstone, which is home to 38 residents with varying support and care needs.

Poole Housing Partnership's investment of nearly half-a-million pounds aims to bring Belmont Court up to extra care standard and enable residents to live independently in their own homes.

It now benefits from new foyers, a modernised lounge and dining room, improved heating, a second lift, rooftop solar panels and the garden dug by a team of local volunteers.

"It is great to see the improvements that have been made which will benefit all the residents at Belmont Court," said the Mayor.

The Borough of Poole scheme has daytime housing staff and night time carers. Extra care aims to reduce hospital admissions while helping people live independently longer, reducing the need for residential care.

With the number of older people living in Poole rising, and an increasing number of very elderly people requiring high levels of care, the new-look scheme is set to provide the level of support needed to enable the residents to remain part of their community.

Residents had a hand in selecting the new decor and furnishings and communal areas were improved to encourage residents to socialise and join in a packed programme of activities ranging from bingo nights to lunch clubs, memory cafés and art classes.

"Residents have been very much at the centre of the project, from suggesting ideas for the interior design, to picking up hoses to water the new garden," said PHP's Jon-Paul Elwart who managed the refurbishment project.

The centrepiece is a part Health and Wellbeing Legacy-funded sensory garden which provides stimulating experiences for residents, some of whom suffer from poor mobility, limited sight and other long-term conditions.

Over four months volunteers built pergolas, seating areas, raised beds and a summer house and dug in evergreen plants, lay wood chipping and a lawn. The tired back garden has been transformed into four distinct zones and features a barbecue area.

"Our objective was to make Belmont Court a much nicer place to live and residents are delighted with the results," said Lyn Piper, PHP housing support locality manager.