Getting green fingers
Residents at Bakers Field Court in Rotherham have been given their very own greenhouse to start growing plants and vegetables in.
Many residents at the newly built extra care scheme said that they missed gardening and would like something within the grounds of the scheme that they could be responsible for. The scheme manager's immediately set about enquiring what funding and community initiatives they could access to make this happen for residents.
They were pleasantly surprised!! The Extra Care Housing Team supported by NHS Rotherham Active in Age programme were able to secure funding from Rotherham United Football Club and Chevin Housing Association who kindly gave donations to be able to purchase a greenhouse along with slabs for the base and a path up to it. Age Concern offered help giving contacts at Voluntary Action who provided 12 environmental workers for a day on a volunteer basis to help put down the slabs and the path, along with erecting the greenhouse.
Residents have also been fundraising and managed to raise £150 which they are going to use to buy materials for a raised garden bed. Age concern have offered to help out with the garden developments with a volunteer visiting the scheme every week.
Councillor Akhtar, Cabinet Member for Housing and Neighbourhood
commented "This project has been a great success and has shown what can be achieved by multi agency working. This is an ongoing project, which will enable tenants to enjoy gardening independently, something which most have not been able to do for a long time and when complete will make a difference to many peoples lives."
Vicky Fenton, Assistant Supported Housing Manager at Chevin Housing said "Many people find gardening a pleasant pastime and I am really pleased that we have been able to work together to provide this facility for our residents. There is a lot of gardening expertise and enthusiasm on the scheme, so you never know where it might lead!"
Photographed: Volunteers helping out to get the new greenhouse built.
