A new Sensory Garden in Midsomer Norton’s Town Park was officially opened last Saturday, bringing scent and texture for residents to enjoy all year round.

The garden was officially opened by the Mayor of Midsomer Norton, Lynda Robertson, MP for North East Somerset, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Sarah Oughton, President of the Radstock and Midsomer Norton Lions Club.

The local Lions club has had a number of successful environmental projects, facilitating litter picks held monthly by alternating between Radstock and Midsomer Norton since 2018 and funding a grassroots group, More Trees for B&NES to set up community tree nurseries in Bath and North East Somerset in 2020, but by far the most ambitious project for the club has been the creation of the sensory garden, with Lions funding £4,000 for the plants and trees within the garden of the new

Midsomer Norton Town Park. Earlier in the year the club won the Lions district environmental competition in recognition of the work towards this project.

The project has taken a number of years to complete, with Lion Margaret Burden liaising with the Town Trust Secretaries, formally Paul Myers and presently Jo Corbett, Donna Ford the Town Clerk, the Landscape Architect, Andrew King from New Leaf Studio and David Paisley, the Town Warden who has been looking after the garden.

The land is owned by the Town Council and the site was given to the Town Trust, who now manage the park project where the sensory garden is sited. The idea of a new ‘Town Park’ being developed in Midsomer Norton was put forward by the Midsomer Norton Town Trust in 2017 and approved by B&NES Council.

The club was delighted that MP, Jacob Rees Mogg, along with the Mayor of Midsomer Norton, Lynda Robertson, came to officially open the sensory garden on Saturday, 11th September.

The Lions hope that the sensory garden will leave a permanent environmental legacy within the park for the people of Midsomer Norton and Radstock and future generations and that it will appeal to all five senses, offering a rich

therapeutic experience to people with a range of different needs. The design encourages a protected, stimulating place for people to enjoy simply being, working and socialising outdoors – a place for reflection and enjoyment.

The club would like to thank all of the people involved in this project who have made the Sensory garden go from an idea to reality.