Barclays bring the beach to Paisley Court

Paisley Court now has a taste of the seaside – thanks to one of Barclays Bank’s Make a Difference (MAD) days.

Our team have been planning a sensory garden for residents for some time.  Many of them have difficult issues and challenging behaviour, so it is not always possible to take them on day trips and it was thought that a new garden would provide them with a great environment in which to relax.

Then Colette Meadowcroft, a Barclays Bank employee whose father Joseph Roach, 83, is a resident at Paisley Court stepped in.

She said: “I asked the bank if it would invest time and resources in a MAD day where colleagues and I would go in and create a garden for Paisley Court.”

Fifteen volunteers from the bank worked throughout the day to create a seaside inspired garden, including sand, pebble and stone surrounds, benches painted to look like deckchairs, sea shell wind chimes and a superb beach scene painted as a backdrop.

Allison Kennie, our manager said: “We are really grateful to Colette and her colleagues for a fantastic job. We are really pleased with the end result and our residents love it. Now they have a wonderful, tranquil and relaxing area where they can quite literally wiggle their toes in the sand, just like at the beach!”

One resident said “It’s absolutely lovely, just like being in the Bahamas – except for the weather!”