Charnwood Gardening Project

Compost Corner - May 2010

Latest News From The Allotments - December 2009

After some delays, we are now making very good progress on the project to provide wheelchair access to a section of the Garden Project. Local firms and volunteers have been very helpful and the initial groundwork has been completed. We hope to see fairly rapid results in the New Year.

Other improvements have included the erection of a secure metal store for our tools, saving time and money on transporting these to and from the Project each day. We have also replaced an untidy herbaceous border for a new, dwarf box hedge.

We are now looking forward to a re-launch of the new-look Project in 2010. The spring will see us putting our new facilities to good use, raising plants for the new area as well as for JSH’s entry in the Loughborough in Bloom competition and welcoming new service users to the Project.

Bobby Smith

Compost Corner - Periodic Newsletter of Charnwood Garden Project (October 2009)

Hello again,

Welcome to the autumn edition.

Student Placements

We were delighted when Hannah Baker joined us on September 28th. Hannah is a third year occupational therapy student from Coventry University and will be on placement with us for a total of 12 weeks. Hannah will be working with the groups as a whole but will also work with individuals with whom she has identified specific support needs.

We are also pleased to have Kieran Phillips from Burleigh Community College lending us a hand on an extended placement. Kieran will be with us at least until the end of this term.

Updates

The very successful Well-being group began the term on The 25th of September. Most of last year’s learners are back and we have a number of new faces.

The RNIB learners returned on the !4th of September. Currently it is a small group but the numbers will increase after half term.

The Open College Network (OCN) course funded through Longslade College will run from the 22nd of February 2010. This will be for 15 weeks at 4 hours per week on Mondays. For details, contact Longslade Community College. This course is free.

I act as tutor to all of these groups.

On September the 29th, the Carers’ Project hosted a conference at Mountfields Lodge. During the afternoon, a walking tour was made to the Project and we were delighted to receive favourable comments from the visitors who included local MP, Andy Reed.

On October 9th, the day before World Mental Health Day, the Well-being Group manned an information stall at John Storer House. In addition, hardy plants from the Project, houseplants, books, DVDs etc were sold and over £40 was raised for the Project. Thank you to all who supported the event and a special thank you to Bill’s wife who continues to supply us with lovely houseplants.

On Site Developments

After a summer break, the volunteers from the Royal Bank of Scotland are back with us. The old polytunnel is gone and what will become the wheelchair accessible site is now levelled. Special thanks are due to Neil Clarke and Lyn Whitworth for their help. Neil is again selling plants to his work colleagues to raise more of the money we need. Thanks to him, we now have enough money for the greenhouse.

I am canvassing local companies for help in supplying the materials we need to take the project forward. We have just received the very welcome news that Lafarge Aggregates are donating 25 tonnes of quarry scalpings with free delivery. Travis Perkins, Loughborough have been very helpful with weed suppressant matting.

The RBS volunteers are also planning to rebuild our compost bins while we await the other supplies.

We now have a secure storage unit on order, which will save time and money on transporting equipment to and from the Project gardens once it is in place.

Thanks and Congratulations

Thanks as ever to all our volunteers especially Trish, Helen and Paul.

You may of heard that the judges had some very complimentary things to say about the improvements made to the gardens at John Storer House for the ‘In Bloom’ competition this past summer. Congratulations are in order to members of the various groups at the Garden Project as well as to staff and other users of John Storer House who helped with planting and tending the beds. For those of you who didn’t see it, the back patio garden in particular was a picture.

As usual, I attach our current ‘Wish List’.

Many thanks for your continued support.

Bobby and all the Garden Gang

Wish List

Donations towards the new accessible area. We need to purchase railway sleepers, compost, planters, slabs and gravel.

Large plant pots, especially 2 and 3 litre sizes

Anyone with fundraising experience or willing to have a go helping out with this work.

Donations of plants (house or garden), manure and TIME. All are equally welcome!

If you have a spare piece of worktop, we very much need to replace the top of our tea-making cupboard in the shed. Size 23”x40” or 590mm x 1200mm

That’s all for this edition. Do please get in touch if you have any comments, suggestions or questions, or to volunteer some help.

Contact me on 01509 631774 or email me
bobby.smith@voluntaryactioncharnwood.org.uk

Charnwood Garden Project
John Storer House
Wards End
Loughborough, LE11 3HA

Excerpt from 2009 - 2010 Service Brochure

The Gardening Project offers social and therapeutic horticulture and training to a wide range of people for five days a week, 50 weeks of the year. Over 40 people, from all walks of life, attend the project each week. One of our aims is to break down social barriers by encouraging able volunteers to work alongside those with learning or physical disabilities, mental health problems or asylum seekers. Thereby encouraging recognition that everyone has something to offer and deserves to be a valued member of the community.

The Project works in partnership with a number of statutory, voluntary and educational bodies. For several years we have hosted social work degree student placements from de Montfort University. In 2008/9 we welcomed our first occupational therapy student from Coventry University. We also offer work experience placements usually for one or two 6th form students from local colleges (Burleigh and Rawlins).

New developments for 2008/9 are a longer-term arrangement with the RNIB College in Loughborough (expected to run in 2010) to provide work experience for up to six students with learning disabilities and/or visual impairment. Also Open College Network (OCN) accredited learning courses are now offered. Two courses have been run and are due to run again in 2010; one for students with disabilities funded by Longslade College, and one for people to improve mental well-being, funded by Rawlins.

For three days a week, funded by Leicestershire County Council Adult Social Care, groups of adults with learning disabilities attend therapeutic horticulture sessions. This group also provides assistance with garden maintenance to older and/or disabled residents in Charnwood.

The Project is currently working to develop a horticultural project to teach gardening skills to young refugees and asylum seekers to aid social integration whilst providing an opportunity to overcome the traumas of their past experiences.

The Project maintains its close relationship with Thrive, the national charity for social and therapeutic horticulture. We work with them at every opportunity to both improve the service we offer and to promote the benefits of the work we do. We are continuing to work towards improving access for all the Project gardens.

For further information please contact Bobby Smith on 01509 631774 or bobby.smith@voluntaryactioncharnwood.org.uk

Charnwood Gardening Project Open Day - 21 July 2009

Bobby Smith would like to extend everyone a warm welcome to the Open Day on Tuesday, 21 July 2009. The event will take place at Mountfield Allotments from 10.30 am - 2.30 pm and will act as a showcase for the project's volunteers and learners. There will be plants, cakes, books and bric a brac for sale. All donations welcome.