WARRINGTON Hospital’s innovative dementia garden has unveiled its very own postbox – to help hospital patients living with dementia make links with a more familiar past.

The hospital’s Forget-Me-Not garden - which was officially opened in the summer to give patients with dementia a calming, interesting space where they can safely be outside and enjoy plants, flowers and space – has installed the postbox to give patients a familiar memory from our streets as they walk around, as well as the opportunity to write and ‘post’ letters and cards themselves.

Funding for the postbox was donated by Warrington-based primary care property company, Assura.

Helen Higginson from the hospital's charity said: “Once again we are overwhelmed by the support from Assura, receiving this funding has given us the opportunity to provide an iconic piece of history within our Forget Me Not Dementia Garden which has already seen one of our patients and his wife spend over two hours just walking around chatting and enjoying this incredible space – this is why we truly believe together we are amazing!”

Jonathan Murphy, CEO of Assura, said: “Design which supports people with dementia is an important focus in our work so this was a project we were so pleased to be a part of.

"So much thought has gone into the features in the garden to help patients with dementia, their relatives and carers find talking points and activities which take them back to a more familiar time – we hope the postbox will help many patients in the years to come.”