A TEAM of staff at the John Radcliffe are raising money to revamp a sensory garden, helpful to the care of elderly patients with dementia and Parkinson's.

The garden, outside the Geratology unit at the hospital, is in desperate need of refurbishment with much of the furniture rotting away.

The 14-strong team will be walking 10 miles through Oxford today to raise almost £2,000 for the invaluable outdoor space in time for special memorial service in the summer.

Discharge co-ordinator Maria Chaundy, organising the march, said: "The majority of our patients have dementia or Parkinson's and sometimes are at the end of their life and the garden can have a real calming influence on them.

"When patients are faced with cognitive challenges it's nice to be able to take them away from the environment of the ward into a sensory garden."

The 40-year-old from Kennington, is in charge of assessing patients before either sending them home, to assisted living accommodation, or recommend they stay on the ward.

The Adam's Ward team want the project to be complete before a memorial service, open to relatives of those looked after on the ward who have since died.

She said: "At the end of June we are holding a memorial service and want relatives of patients who have passed away on the ward to come back and enjoy the garden.

"It would be great to get the revamp finished for then as many of the chairs and benches are rotting away now."

The unit is made up of 40 en-suite rooms and predominantly used by older patients.

The sensory garden forms an important part of the therapeutic care for patients but it also has different surfaces and climbing steps enabling them to prepare for their return home.

Mrs Chaundy came up with the idea after she began walking to keep fit earlier this year.

She said: "I started walking at the beginning of the year to get fit and I thought I would put it to good use to raise money for the garden.

"I have had great support from the rest of the staff and after roping a few in there will be 14 of us doing the walk."

The team will be leaving Adam's Ward at the John Radcliffe Hospital and 10am today before making their way down Headley Way and Marston Ferry Road, through Summertown to Carfax and Oxford University Parks.

They will then head up to The Plain and Morrell Avenue before walking onto Gipsy Lane and back to the hospital.