Better Together Community Support Group for Stoke-on-Trent and NuL have taken over the garden at St Werburgh’s School in Clayton [1].
The
Seabridge Lane site is home to a wildlife garden and a plot for growing
vegetables. Better Together have ambitious plans to develop it as a community
garden and as a site for hosting some of their regular groups.
Mrs
Wilson, headteacher at St Werburgh’s described the work done to bring the
garden back into use as “absolutely fantastic” and that it would be “something
everyone will now be able to enjoy”.
Jo
Gideon, MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central and a patron of Better Together said that
a community garden was a “fantastic idea”, adding that gardening is an activity
that shows “countless benefits to both physical and mental health, with the
added benefit of providing you with fresh produce to put on your plate”.
The
garden will be part of their A-Maize-Ing-Grow project, which encourages people
to take part in activities where they can learn about and engage with nature in
ways that benefit their wellbeing [2].
Better
Together CEO Birgit Alport said the aim was to “bring the community together”
and “help people to cook from scratch and save money. Adding that “we also want
to educate people about sustainability and not wasting food”.
Many
of the plants and materials used in the garden have been donated by local
businesses including Morrison’s supermarket.
Gemma
Morris, a Community Champion based at the Morrison’s store in Newcastle said,
“as a community retailer we are happy to support this project and the work
Better Together do to stop food going to waste”. It was, she said, also
“important for kids to learn that food comes from somewhere other than a shop”.
Using
nature to help people cope with the stresses of everyday is an important part
of the A-Maize-Ing-Grow project, particularly now when, Birgit said, it can be
a “struggle to make ends meet”.
Dan,
one of the Better Together volunteers who has worked on the garden said he felt
it will be a “wonderful place” that will help people to feel calm.
Once
the garden is open, he will be part of the team that will maintain it,
something he said he was happy to do because “Birgit and her team were there
for me when I was in a bad place”, now he wants to “give something back”.
Drue,
another Better Together volunteer said, “you really appreciate places like
this, they help you to get out of the house”, adding that she finds working in
the garden “relaxing” and it is an opportunity to “meet nice people and enjoy
the outdoors”
The
garden will be formally opened by Stoke Central MP Jo Gideon on Saturday 25th
June.
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