At Friends of the Elderly’s residential and dementia care home, the RNNH in Bournemouth, Dorset, the residents ‘Did Their Gardening Best’ with the 21st Bournemouth Cub Scouts when the Pack visited to work in the care home’s gardens as part of their Cubs Gardener Activity Badge.
The 21st Bournemouth Cub Scouts have been visiting RNNH since 2018, when they initially visited at Christmas to take part in an arts and crafts session and sing Carols with the residents.
Alan Johnston, the Registered Manager at RNNH said: “During their last visit, their Akela, Dan, and I discussed the Pack returning and I mentioned they could always use the garden to do activities and possibly make bug hotels or something similar with the residents. We then decided that the RNNH garden would be the perfect place for the Cub Scouts to do their Gardener Activity Badge.”
The Cubs Gardener Activity Badge is in place to let the Cub Scouts experience the joy of gardening, get to know all about vegetables, fruits and herbs; the best seasons for growing, the tools they need for the job, how to maintain a garden or allotment – and of course visiting and monitoring a bug hotel and its guests.
Once the date was set, Alan and his team wasted no time in preparing for the ‘Den’ of activity. Rob Paton, RNNH’s Activities Coordinator continued: “Stewarts Garden Centre gave us a donation so, to engage the residents, I took them to the Garden Centre where together we picked out a shrub and some Tulip and Daffodil bulbs from a display that had been set up like a pick and mix counter. The residents really enjoyed picking out their favourites and are keen to see them in our garden in spring. I also visited Basket and Blooms Garden Centre and Cherry Tree Garden Centre to collect their kind donations as well.”
The Cubs arrived at RNNH on a Saturday morning and quickly got work on the areas Alan had chosen for them – the care home’s Forget-Me-Not Garden, the Rose Garden and raised flower bed area – which were all tended with the utmost care. was especially happy planting
“The Cub Scouts motto is ‘Do Your Best’ and each Cub Scout certainly did theirs,” Rob added.
