With some trustees of this charity being members of the local Methodist Church and others being members of the community, the Whole Life Community Garden has big goals, to be:
- Somewhere to pause and breathe
- Somewhere to be with others, to be with new friends and old
- Somewhere to grow
- Somewhere sustainable
- Somewhere to find biodiversity
- Somewhere beautiful
Lorraine Jones (Local Pastor in the York Circuit) shares her hopes and dreams for this community garden space:
So here we are at the entrance way - around the end of May 2030 – let me ‘show’ you around. The first thing that hits you is the gentle scent of the roses which are just coming out. It glorious. Someone is just off to the left, their wheelchair tucked under the specially adapted raised bed, completely absorbed in planting out the green bean seedlings.
We will look forward to harvesting those later in the summer and passing them on to some of our community partners. One of the children from the school group who are busy sowing some seeds and watering the tomato plants shouts a greeting to the lady who grins back at him. They are obviously old friends. A group of people of all ages and backgrounds are putting the world to rights over a cuppa, before taking on the next round of weeding.
As we wander past the sea of wildflowers surrounding our little fruit growing area, which is still getting established, we hear the buzz of pollinators. Let’s go through to the quieter area now - and we can hear the water of the solar fountain in the pond, gently bubbling away. Someone is sitting contentedly on a bench by the pond, watching the dragonflies dancing around. If we’re lucky we might see a frog.
A little way off in the distance, a parent and their child are happily walking the labyrinth we mowed into the grass. I see them regularly; the child has autism and it really seems to calm them. A couple of people are chatting in the new garden room; I realise it’s the social prescriber from the GP surgery.
A little way off in the distance, a parent and their child are happily walking the labyrinth we mowed into the grass. I see them regularly; the child has autism and it really seems to calm them. A couple of people are chatting in the new garden room; I realise it’s the social prescriber from the GP surgery.
So many of the people she has seen have joined us in the garden and it has helped our little community enormously. As we wander back someone waves us over; it’s a local gardener who has been growing some more seedlings for us. She hands them over and mentions that one of her neighbours has offered to make a new potting bench out of some spare bits of wood he has lying around. I tell her to give him my number, with thanks.
Before leaving we sit down on a couple of chairs in the patio area. One of the volunteers asks us if we want our usual brews. I grin and nod and sit back in the chair and sigh as a wave of contentedness washes over me, as it so often does being here. After talking over our planting plans for the next few weeks over a cuppa, you and I say our goodbyes and agree to meet next week for a spot of weeding.
I hope that gives you a flavour of what the garden might be like in a few years time. I do hope you will journey with us in our little adventure, whether it’s with your time and skills, a seedling or two, or with encouragement. Above all, we want you to come and enjoy it and be part of it. After all, it’s for all of us.