Loveday Abbey Road wins at the Healthcare Design Awards 2024

We are delighted to announce that Loveday Abbey Road has been awarded Best Exterior Space at the prestigious Healthcare Design Awards 2024.

The garden at Loveday Abbey Road has been meticulously researched and designed to the highest standards, catering to the unique needs of those living with dementia, ensuring innovation and aesthetic appeal for everyone to enjoy.

It features an easy-to-navigate layout with meandering paths that cater to everyone, ensuring full accessibility for those with mobility needs.  Abundant seating and quiet areas provide spaces for individuals to enjoy peace and tranquility.  This is not only for Member wellbeing when they need a quiet calming place to escape overstimulation, but also for family members who may need a quiet private place to re-balance themselves before or after a visit.

Raised garden beds enhance the aesthetics and also serve a highly functional purpose by promoting comfort, reducing physical strain, ensuring accessibility and encouraging active participation in gardening. This aligns with our goal of making gardening a therapeutic and integral part of our Wellbeing offering, fostering stress reduction and improved mental health.  Our resident horticulturalist not only tends the garden but actively involves Members through our Gardening Club.

The garden thrives with plants chosen not just for their visual appeal but also for their sensory attributes—scent, touch, taste, and even sound—aimed at helping individuals connect with the outdoor space.  The herbs, fruit and vegetables grown in the garden are harvested by Members in our Gardening Club, and the culinary team also pick and use in, ensuring the freshest ingredients for our menus.

The garden provides a highly social space; Members, families, guests and staff gather regularly for events, musical performances, art workshops, BBQs, Easter Egg hunts and much more. The design of Loveday Abbey Road minimises the division between indoor and outdoor, so in summer there is a natural flow to bring the outdoors in, whilst in chillier months the garden can still be appreciated through elegant glass.  Members can engage in daily exercise, dining, or relaxation year-round in this beautiful outdoor setting, complete with a calming water feature and a stunning sculpture of a child, a distinctive feature across all Loveday properties.

The plant selection prioritises wildlife and bee-friendliness, ensuring a non-toxic environment without thorns or stings—making it entirely dementia-friendly. The strategic flowering times of the plants provide a continuous mix of colours throughout the year. Additionally, the garden is low-maintenance and is cared for by Members who take immense pride in trimming, weeding and pruning.

Every element has been designed for those living with dementia, sensory or mobility issues. The curve of the bench eases the strain of standing up, the water feature is placed near to seats for those hard of hearing, and the plants framed against white contrasting panels, so those with reduced sight can pick out the flowers beautifully framed for them.  Paths are circular so no one gets lost or disorientated and the benches are individually placed for privacy.

We couldn’t be more proud of winning Best Exterior Space at the prestigious Healthcare Design Awards 2024. We are hugely appreciative of all of our fantastic team involved in designing, building and maintaining the sensory garden and delighted that so many people get to enjoy this beautiful space daily.