Mayor of Alton Opens Care Home’s New Garden
The Mayor of Alton, Cllr Barbara Tansey, officially unveiled the newly relandscaped garden at Brendoncare Alton on Saturday, 4th July, marking a significant milestone for the care home and its community. During her opening speech, she highlighted her recent visits to Brendoncare Alton—recalling singing carols and dancing with Alton Morris. She thanked the staff for their community contributions, praising Brendoncare’s core values of “care, support, and community.”
Residents were put in charge of choosing the afternoon’s theme which was country and western, the entertainment and the food. The highlights included two live musical performances from Honky Tonk Angels and Mike Bryant, a favourite at the care home.
The garden project began in early 2025 with a detailed consultation process involving residents and their relatives.
Their input was vital in creating the final design, with their suggestions including raised flower beds, a wheelchair-accessible planting area, tactile features, and a dedicated memory garden. These ideas were developed into an accessible outdoor space for all to enjoy.
Although construction was scheduled to start at the end of 2025, progress was delayed until early 2026 due to wintry weather. The garden has now been successfully completed in time for the summer season, allowing residents to enjoy the space at its best.
The project was made possible thanks to generous community support. Brendoncare received two grants from the Gerald Micklem Charitable Trust — £10,000 in 2024 for wooden planters and a further £15,000 in 2025 for fencing.
Additional contributions included £200 from Alton Lions, £150 raised through the BIGI fundraising platform, and a donation of goods worth £101 from Wickes.
“This is very much the residents’ afternoon. They were involved right from the start of the planning and came up with the country ‘n western theme. The garden is now a very special feature of the care home and we are so grateful to the local organisations who have helped us bring it to life.”
The garden opening also marked the start of celebrations for the care home’s 30th anniversary year.
Brendoncare Alton was the charity’s first integrated care community—where the care home provides nursing, dementia and respite care alongside Mary Rose Mews, an extra care housing development enabling people to live independently in their own homes with support available as needed.
Brendoncare Alton is one of seven care homes across the south of England run by Winchester-based charity Brendoncare. The charity also provides extra care housing in five locations and supports older people in the community through in-person and online clubs, as well as telephone and digital support services.
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