COMMUNITY GARDENING
Hi again
I live on a 50+ assisted living council estate - 2 tower blocks side by side with a lot of green space that's unused. Then I heard about this:
http://www.incredible-edible-todmorden.co.uk/
- and what's being done there. So I got thinking, ran the idea past a few people (with their heads screwed on better than mine!) and came up with our Garden Development Project.
Basically, it's about this:
1. We get vandalism, drug-takers, people using our estate as a cut-through (and sometimes as a public toilet) and for illegal car-parking, which makes access and parking difficult for residents and essential services.
2. The land doesn't look very attractive, and nobody wants to get outside and sit in it much - and anyway, there's no secure bit where you can sit in peace.
3. Lots of residents are shut-in and bored, lonely, isolated.
4. Quite a few have gardening skills, and miss the gardens they used to tend.
5. Gardening is good for you, and brings people together.
So...
1. I put in some funding bids (Community Chest, Community Initiatives Fund, POC Fund) to develop our garden and get a gardening club going.
2. I found some project partners - therapeutic gardeners (from a local CIC), the police, the school and the pub - both next door, some city council staff involved in tenant participation and healthy activities promotion, local conservation groups, and got them involved with advice and support.
3. I found a local fencing/gardening expert and brought him in for a day to do some heavy work and involved residents who turned up wanting to help.
4. On that day I did a Launch event with refreshments in our communal room for everyone who wanted to help or get more info, regardless of whether they were physically able to prune, rake etc. Everyone needs to be consulted on how they want the garden to look...
There are a few photos on my page of the Launch event, which took place just a week ago. It was great to be outside in the fresh air and sunshine (we wrapped up warm of course). The aches and pains lasted and I'm still rubbing in the Deep Heat! But it was worth it.
I have a dream of this garden - herbs beds, roses, a hedge, butterflies and bees and birds enjoying it - and the people of course, salads, veg and fruit... Most of it so far has been achieved from the safety of my flat (I'm rather reclusive, as you may have gathered if you've read any of my previous stuff) - behind my computer or occasionally on the phone. And of course now other people are involved and the preparatory stage is complete, it's not just me. So if I have a meltdown, it's sustainable!
I'm focusing my thinking on the following at the mo: edible gardening (which is what Todmorden is about mainly), using the garden to conserve endangered species (such as the walnut tree, bees and hedgehogs) and how we can build bridges with the local community by the fact that we're showing them we love and respect our home and environment. Maybe someone here on the site has some ideas - if so, please don't hesitate to post them.
Wishing you a wonderful spring,
Jan
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Comment by Kathryn on March 12, 2012 at 11:51
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Hello Jan and Todsprout - just a quick note to let you both know I've deleted the comment which contained your email address Todsprout, to ensure it isn't misused by anyone you don't want to have it, and sent it to Jan as a private message. Private messages are usually the best way to share information like this with one another just to be safe.
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Comment by Jan Tchamani on March 11, 2012 at 18:18
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Looking to take the Gardening Club members to Todmorden for a few days later on this year. Wondering if you're around,Todsprout, and could help by recommending somewhere we could stay? We'd have to have disabled access and be nearby. I'm hoping to get funding for the trip...
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Hi Kathryn
Thank you for asking. We're waiting for the city council to put up a fence round the part of the garden we particularly want to develop, and it's taking ages. We can't do more than sneak in a few shrubs and perennials here and there till we're secure because of the possibility of vandalism. The equipment arrived yesterday from the wonderful Community Chest - flatpack greenhouse and benches, wheelbarrow, tools, compost and mulch, kneeling cushions etc. We also had a visit from Bham Open Spaces Forum - a wonderful lady called Sarah who was a wealth of information and advice. We have an indoor workshop coming up, delivered by 2 therapeutic gardeners from a CIC called Spring to Life. We've drawn up a plan of the garden and decided to focus on the areas that are most visible to visitors/trespassers/passers-by: a bee and butterfly area, a 4-seasons flowerbed... The pruned shrubs and trees look much healthier, and the bluebells we uncovered are galloping!
I've got some help to put in a funding bid for 'social inclusion' activities (both indoor and outdoor) which hopefully will enable us to offer a wider range of clubs (e.g. a 'cook it and eat it' lunch club, tai chi, yoga, disability support group) and help the Gardening Club. There are a couple of things we'd like to do in particular: fund members to go on gardening courses and organise a weekend trip up to Todmorden to get inspired!!!
Hope the wind has died down in Bradford!
All the best
Jan
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How is the garden holding up in this odd weather Jan? I've been almost blown over today in Bradford!
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Thank you Kathryn! We put some more shrubs in yesterday - picked them up at a local 'pound shop' that shall be nameless - a buddleia and a climbing yellow rose among others - and found that some narcissi, donated by an elderly lady who lives here are already coming into bud! Even though the project is long-term (gardeners have to have patience, I'm told!), there are little signs every day that Nature is doing her part, and it's becoming a reason to nip outside every day, even when I'm in the middle of one of my frequent bipolar crises and feeling unlovely...
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Morning Jan
What a brilliant project! Thank you so much for sharing your inspiring story with the site - I'm sure there will be other members who have always wanted to do something like this but never known where to start or what funding options are available to them.
It's really great to hear how fulfilling you are finding transforming this land and I really look forward to more pictures when the weather picks up.
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Wow! I've connected with a Todmorden person! That's amazing. I totally respect your team of people and your vision. It was my son who inspired me in the first instance - he's into getting community groups going on this type of project, and wanting to do a doctorate looking at how to adapt successful small town/rural projects for the urban setting. He's really challenged my thinking about environmental/conservation issues in general. For young people, it's often frustrating how little is being done, so I know your work gives him a lot of encouragement.
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Comment by todsprout on February 26, 2012 at 9:42 -
way to go!! this sounds fabulous. The reduction in crimes of vandalism here in Todmorden was a huge and entirely unexpected bonus for us. What your doing is incredible.
more power to your trowel
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