Over the last five years the community garden on the estate has been transformed by the residents alongside the places team.
We’re delighted our work has been recognised by HQN magazine (page 40) to demonstrate the importance of biodiversity and communities coming together.
Much of the change is down to two residents, John McNally and Steve Partridge. They began working on the garden alongside our contractor Just Ask during the Covid lockdown in 2020. Other residents joined in to live in a greener healthier environment.
Steve Partridge is now paid by Just Ask for his gardening work and John McNally is paid by us for their combined upkeep of the garden.
John says: “People used to feel quite ashamed living here. People comment in the change that’s taken place. We’ve created a virtual desert into an oasis.”
During the pandemic appreciation of parks and other spaces rose significantly, especially for those who lived in flats. There was a real need for somewhere to relax and enjoy the fresh air when opportunities to live the house were so limited.
Green space not only improves air quality it also promotes positive mental health and helps foster a sense of community among households who might otherwise rarely see one another or have an opportunity to chat.
Before our merger Genesis spent £7000 replacing top soil at the estate in 2019. Residents got together for community bulb planting sessions for families and kids. With the gardens looking better a masterplan emerged to improve the estate as a whole and a further £3000 was raised through crowdfunding.
In 2022 the NHG places team took on the estate - led estates operations manager Lesley Verspille – with the aim of building community cohesion. They helped bring the estate together by holding community events and assisting with the garden.
Lesley says: “I‘m really pleased with how we as a team have made an impact on the residents who live on the estate - we’ve built a great relationship with them. You can see below the pictures from before and after the transformation.”
Steve notes how important it is that residents have been part of the work: “They’ve seen the results of their labour. People are much more respectful of their environment.”
This successful turnaround for Factory Quarter shows how important it is to engage with residents in innovative ways and looks at the bigger picture when working on estates.
