Livability Brackley supports 15 people with intellectual disabilities, across 5 home-style residential care homes, alongside our day services for 22 people within the Brackley community.

In March 2020, it was simply unimaginable the devastating toll coronavirus would have on the disabled community. Between March and May 2020, of all UK deaths, 6 in 10 deaths were people with disabilities people who ordinarily should have expected to have a full life expectancy.

The people we support have spent much of the past 19 months shielding, unable to go out into the community and take part in their normal routine. The people we support across Livability Brackley services asked us to transform the garden area at the day centre to give them an accessible outdoor space to enjoy all year-round.

The garden at The Links, Brackley is covered in shingle, making it difficult or impossible, for people with limited mobility to move around the space, especially wheelchair users. There is also little shade, meaning people cannot spend prolonged periods of time in the garden, be it rain or shine.

We want to upgrade the surfaces to allow users to access all parts of the garden, purchase a parasol for shade, seating and floor matting, installing large raised beds so users can reach into them and grow flowers or vegetables, regardless of disabilities.

We would also love a small sensory area in the garden, to include sensory plants, wind chimes and a water feature - a sensory garden can provide an oasis of calm for the people we support, improving physical fitness, health, wellbeing and helping to calm challenging behaviour.

£10 could buy sensory plants

£25 could buy wind chimes

£75 could buy materials for raised planters

£100 could buy seating or a parasol

Livability is the disability charity that's committed to enabling children, young people and adults to live a life that adds up for them.

What makes life livable is never down to just one thing - its the sum of many things. From friendship to fun; from companionship to community; from a great chat to a challenge overcome it all adds up to Livability.

Through a wide range of disability care, special education, and rehabilitation services, we promote inclusion and wellbeing for all. Together, we work to see people take part, contribute and be valued. We put the elements in place that all add up to connected lives. We are a national charity with a local reach