Providing a safe space for children and their families
Friends of Seaview received a grant of £3,000 from the Rooney Family Foundation to deliver activities and maintain the therapeutic garden for children with additional needs and disabilities visiting the Seaview respite centre in Edinburgh.
Friends of Seaview, established in 2013, maintains the sensory therapeutic garden next to the Seaview Children’s Unit, a respite centre for children with additional complex needs and disabilities, and their families, in the suburb of Bingham in Edinburgh. Seventy families use the respite centre annually where they can stay up to four nights, and part of the services on offer is the outdoor activities in the therapeutic garden which are maintained by this separate, fully volunteer run, friends of charity.
The garden is specially designed to accommodate children with a range of needs and disabilities including being fully accessible for wheelchairs creating a safe space for children to learn all things gardening while reaping the benefits being outdoors. The garden and its activities are delivered by a therapeutic gardener and six volunteers throughout the year and is for the exclusive use of the children and families visiting the respite centre.
The Project
Friends of Seaview received a grant of £3,000 from the Rooney Family Foundation in April 2025 to contribute to the gardener fees and gardening supplies to deliver activities and maintain the therapeutic garden for children with additional needs and disabilities visiting the Seaview respite centre in Edinburgh. The gardener is a key asset to the success and smooth running of the garden activities and keeping it maintained and safe for the children. Nature is well documented for its benefits for overall health and wellbeing and provides a fantastic sensory opportunity, especially for children with additional needs and is therefore a valued service at the centre for both the children and families and the staff that work there.
The Impact
The funding has played a key role in keeping the garden open as a safe and enjoyable space for children with additional support needs. Around 70 children have benefited from having access to a place designed around them, where they can spend time outdoors, build skills and feel comfortable in their surroundings.
The therapeutic gardener supports a team of volunteers, maintains the space, and plans activities that reflect the different needs of the children. The garden itself is carefully looked after, growing fruit and vegetables that the children help to plant, care for and harvest. Through this, they learn not only about nature but also about food and how it is prepared.
For many of the children, this is a space they would not otherwise have access to. With a range of physical and social needs, public parks and gardens are not always suitable or accessible. At Seaview, features such as a raised sand pit and a wheelchair swing mean they can take part fully. It offers a setting where they can learn, play and develop confidence in a way that works for them.
Greg May - Chair of Friends of Seaview said:
| “Foundation Scotland has been an absolutely wonderful support. We certainly could not have achieved the financial outcomes we have without them. I feel like they have all gone the extra mile to support our charity which contributed to us being financially secure for 12 months. This took a huge weight off my shoulders not having to worry if we had money or not! What you do is fantastic, something of a hidden treasure perhaps?” |
The impact extends beyond the children themselves. Families, who are often under significant pressure, benefit from the time and support the garden provides. It offers a form of respite, giving children meaningful activities while also easing some of the day-to-day demands on parents and carers. The produce grown in the garden is also shared with families, adding fresh food to their tables.
The project continues to evolve. Each year, some children move on, marked by a graduation event with their families, while new children begin their time in the garden. Funding remains an ongoing need, with each contribution helping to sustain the space and ensure that more children can benefit in the future.
Read more about The Rooney Family Foundation here.