We really believe in the power of gardening to promote positive change, and at Workbridge, gardening is a massive part of our Workbridge therapy sessions – helping adults with learning disabilities, mental illness, autism or brain injuries learn skills and gain in confidence.
We work with a variety of local organisations, creating gardens and woodwork projects that help to benefit the local community. Here are some of our recent and ongoing projects with the community in Northamptonshire.
Everdon Outdoor Learning Centre
Service users in Workbridge Woodwork are creating mud kitchens for the young people at Everdon Outdoor Learning Centre as part of a partnership between our two organisations. We are also creating bird boxes and hedgehog homes to support outdoor learning and the wildlife at Everdon. Watch this space for future collaborations between the two involving supported learning experiences with our service users.
Northampton Partnership Homes (NPH)
Another project involving our Woodwork team is with local housing organisation, Northampton Partnership Homes.
Workbridge built 28 raised beds for NPH in 2020 for a new allotment site in Southfields. The raised beds opened to plot holders in May 2021. Many residents in the area live in flats and do not have access to a garden so the communal allotment is there to provide them with a peaceful outdoor space to grow flowers, food and meet other people in the community.
Plot holder at NPH Allotments in Southfields:
“Me and my children love spending time at our allotment plot. They love getting involved and helping me, and they’re really enjoying seeing everything grow. Our tomatoes have just started turning red, and we’re also growing lettuce, beetroot, spinach and mint. It’s all growing really well. I find working on the plot really helps my anxiety, it means I have a reason to get out of the house and spend time outdoors somewhere peaceful.”
We are also really proud of the 120 nature kits made for NPH in 2020 that were distributed to their residents in Northampton to support education and awareness of wildlife in the community.
John Lobbs
The shoe producer in Northampton is supporting Workbridge with a number of exciting projects. One of them is the rejuvenation of their factory roof garden. Workbridge is currently designing and sourcing plants for their garden which was originally designed by our woodwork and garden centre teams in 2019.
The Mounts, Northampton
Workbridge is proud to be working with Cllr Danielle Stone of West Northamptonshire Council in the Mounts in Northampton. We have been creating raised bed planters on pavements for the surrounding streets. The project is part of a community project to add colour and flowers to the neighbourhood and reduce fly tipping locally.
Get in touch to work with our charity on an exciting garden project in your area.
From creating raised beds to designing planting schemes, our service users and instructors can support you to create a wonderful garden, and you can support us too!
