Land in Telford transformed into natural oasis with Windrush Community Garden

The Telford African and Afro-Caribbean Resource Centre (TAARC) has been working with partners including Telford & Wrekin Council’s Safer & Stronger Communities project to create the garden as a Windrush Community project.

Around 25 volunteers aged up to 60 have turned the abandoned plot of land in Summer House Drive in Hadley into a haven with a wildflower meadow, fruit trees and raised beds for growing root crops and herbs.

The garden will be a place where people of any faith or nationality can enjoy with the aim of bringing people together to prevent loneliness, keep active through gardening and maintenance,

Cabinet Member for Healthier, Safer & Stronger Communities and Partnerships, Councillor Kelly Middleton (Lab) said: “The success of this community garden is down to the dedication of the people who have worked together.

“It’s great to see a place that was once overgrown and unused, turned into somewhere people can work together to create something special for the community that surrounds it. I look forward to the first crop of apples and watching the group grow in numbers.”

Funding came from several grants alongside further backing from ward councillors and the Safer & Stronger Communities fund.

Natalie Headley is on the Chair of Trustees and said: “I am delighted that we at TAARC had the opportunity and the privilege to get together with the local community to create this beautiful garden that everyone can contribute to and enjoy. 

We can all benefit mentally and physically from being outdoors, seeing wildlife in their habitat, watching plants grow and harvesting what we have planted. We are extremely grateful to our sponsors for making this possible.”

TAARC is a registered charity that seeks to showcase the best of African and African Caribbean cultures by honouring the past, understanding the present and celebrating the future.

Other partners involved in the project include the Heart of England Community Foundation, ASDA Donnington.