Manor Gardens
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Transformation
Community Garden
Manor Gardens is a success story; the community volunteers group, who manages Manor Gardens project, has transformed a grot spot, a target for fly tippers, waste dumpers and drug addicts, into a community growing garden with fruit trees garden, vegetables/herbs growing facilities, DIY-workshop (planned) and social activities for the benefit of the local community. Now this project is run under the umbrella of the Hamm-Damm Foundation.
The Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing (KNH) project "Plant it Grow it Eat it" project from 2012 until 2014, offered the site to a group of volunteers and decided to encourage local peoples enthusiasm, supported by external funding, for growing their own food by skilling up residents around the site and other community members to deliver their own growing projects. The Council/KNH helped the local community and gave a great opportunity to bring the land back into use as a valuable and attractive community asset.
The KNH project-team consulted with local residents living in the properties surrounding the site and the interested volunteers; there was enthusiasm to get involved and growing support for the development of the project and to start growing activities on the site. A strong management committee made up of committed local volunteers emerged who became constituted, this group has been supported by the KNH-Team and have the invaluable support of all three local Councillors as well as the local MP.
From grot spot...
... To community garden!
The growing garden site is the base and a valuable asset of Hamm-Damm Foundation which is divided into four parts:
1) Individual Growing-Plots Rented out to volunteers who grow own vegetables and herbs on the rented growing-plots and share the harvest with other community members.
2) Groups Growing-Plots and Facilities Such as polytunnels, open-air raised-beds, etc. Where all volunteers and groups participate on growing activities and share the harvest.
3) The Fruit-Trees Garden Volunteers care and maintain the planted fruit-trees in the fruit-trees garden area at the rear of the site as well as fruit-trees planted else where on the site.
4) The DIY-Workshop (planned) Volunteers learn DIY-skills and simple woodworking skills in general and related to facilities on the site as well as landscaping skills in general.
Besides our own volunteers, we also engage volunteers from JobCentre (Works Depatment), Interserve (Learning and employment facilitator), the Payback Service of the local Council (Facilitator for rehabilitation of ex-offenders), and other external volunteers, who help us and learn skills on the site.
1) Individual Growing-Plots Rented out to volunteers who grow own vegetables and herbs on the rented growing-plots and share the harvest with other community members.
2) Groups Growing-Plots and Facilities Such as polytunnels, open-air raised-beds, etc. Where all volunteers and groups participate on growing activities and share the harvest.
3) The Fruit-Trees Garden Volunteers care and maintain the planted fruit-trees in the fruit-trees garden area at the rear of the site as well as fruit-trees planted else where on the site.
4) The DIY-Workshop (planned) Volunteers learn DIY-skills and simple woodworking skills in general and related to facilities on the site as well as landscaping skills in general.
Besides our own volunteers, we also engage volunteers from JobCentre (Works Depatment), Interserve (Learning and employment facilitator), the Payback Service of the local Council (Facilitator for rehabilitation of ex-offenders), and other external volunteers, who help us and learn skills on the site.
Our journey tells a beautiful story. One where the community came together - volunteers and supporters alike.
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And now we bear the fruits of our labour!
Find Us
Find us off Manor Way (behind 21 Manor Way)
Batley, WF17 7BX
See page Contact Us on how to get in touch.