LAVENDER-scented afternoons can be enjoyed by visitors to a day centre for people with Alzheimer's thanks to a hefty donation.

Pinfold Lane Day Centre, in Whitefield, has spent £5,000 creating an oasis of calm in its garden area.

The money was recently donated by the Royal Order of Buffalos and Prestwich Ladies Bowling League and staff at the day centre wasted no time in starting the garden makeover.

There is a newly built patio and pathway, with a variety of seating areas to give day centre users views over the garden. A sensory garden has also been created, featuring lavender bushes and other scented plants.

Day centre manager Sue Sugden said: "The garden is a secure area which enables us to take activities outside. There are things to stimulate all the senses, including sight, touch and smell. we have just started this project and hope to build on it further."

The day centre, in Pinfold Lane, is for people with dementia and conditions associated with short term memory loss such as Alzheimers. It is open six days a week and caters for residents from around the borough.

The centre received £3,600 from the Buffalos and £1,400 from Prestwich Ladies Bowling League. Mrs Sugden said: "This is such a windfall for us and we are so grateful. One of the guys from the Buffalos nominated us for a donation because his mother-in-law attends the centre and the ladies bowling league chose us as their nominated charity."

Mrs Sugden said the bowlers decided to donate to services for the elderly after one of the ladies suggested the centre following a visit. She added: "We have a choir which comes and performs for us and one of the ladies in the choir knows someone on the committe at the bowling league. It has been word of mouth really, and we feel very, very lucky. The sensory garden has become a popular facility and even if the weather isn't good, the users can still enjoy the view as our lounge backs on to the garden."

The centre held a strawberry fair to launch the garden and raised an additional £500 for its amenity fund, which pays for trips out and other treats.

Coun Farook Chaudhry, who is the council's older people's champion, said: "The new garden is a fantastic facility and our grateful thanks goes to the Royal Order of Buffalos and Prestwich Ladies Bowling League."