Local Firm Supports Maritime Care Home Garden Revamp

A seafarers’ care home in Banstead, Belvedere House welcomed a team of volunteers from local financial services provider, Legal & General for a day of gardening to revamp its grounds.

Working in partnership with Business in the Community for this opportunity, the 12 employees from Legal & General spent a day revitalising the existing garden at the Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society in Banstead, Surrey, which provides dedicated nursing care and accommodation for retired seafarers and their dependents.

The team from Legal & General’s Retail Savings  business in Kingswood helped to revamp the home’s sensory garden, which is accessed and used by all the 68 residents, 25 tenants and 95 staff at the home. The garden particularly provides those residents living with dementia, with a calm and relaxing setting which is part of the home’s range of musical and reminiscence therapies, designed to help the residents. Music and the other therapies can help to relieve the feelings of isolation some dementia suffer, as well as reviving forgotten happy memories.

Royal Alfred Seafarers’ Society Chief Executive, Commander Brian Boxall-Hunt, said: “It is always a pleasure to welcome local companies and businesses to the Society. The team from Legal & General have done a great job in revitalising the sensory garden, which the residents and staff appreciate tremendously. Their enthusiasm, even through the wet and windy weather, couldn’t be denied.”

Customer Relationships Manager at Legal & General, Dawn Watkins, said “We had a brilliant day, everyone worked extremely hard and it was a real sense of achievement – it was very different to what we normally do every day but such a privilege to support such a great charity and the amazing work they are doing to help those staying with them. Legal & General encourages all employees to volunteer their time, often during work time, to help local communities and support local issues.”