A community group for people living with dementia has created an exhibition at the Potager Garden in Constantine.

The Potager Peas are a group of people living with dementia who meet at the garden every second and fourth Thursday of the month.

The group has been meeting for eighteen months and, in celebration of this members created an exhibition of photography and words to reflect their experiences in the garden.

The group is made up of around ten people who live with dementia and their carers, local primary care dementia practitioners, volunteers and staff at Potager garden. The group meet to enjoy the garden and take part in various nature based activities including picking flowers for the café tables, making homes for the wildlife, tending to their plot, planting, cooking with ingredients grown from the garden and feeding the chickens. They also take part in activities designed by the Sensory Trust such as creating nature pallets, painting with nature and the treasure hunt style game Go Find It.

The group's exhibition was shown at the garden earlier this month, with photographs chosen by the group members, alongside their comments about the project. It was clear that the group brings a huge amount of social and physical benefit, and one member said: “Potager is the first time I have shared lunch with someone since my wife died.”

Another added: “For some of us, this is the only chance we have to get our hands into the soil again.”

The exhibition was displayed all over the garden, to reflect the route the group takes each time they meet.

On October 7 the exhibition became part of a Fun Palace at Potager garden, providing an opportunity for members of the community to try out nature based activities, see the exhibition and experience guided walks of the garden. The event attracted nearly ninety members of the community, of all ages.

The project is part of work by the Sensory Trust's Creative Spaces in the Community project, which is supported by the the Big Lottery Fund. Anyone who would like to find out more about the Potager Peas, or would be interested in volunteering with the group can contact Ellie Robinson Carter on erobinsoncarter@sensorytrust.org.uk or on 01726 222900.