Let's go for gold...

Yvonne Slater. PATH Coordinator, Pro-active Approach To Health, B.A.C.C.
'We began our involvement in the 'Places of Change Garden on the 16th of February 2010. A successful launch event was organised and well attended by reps from various partners in our project; Keyhouse and Bradford Alliance on Community Care (BACC), who are the lead partners, along with Bradford Community Environment Project (BCEP), The Salvation Army, Horton Housing Association, Bradford Working Women's Service, as well as volunteers and service users keen to be involved too.

Hilary Bosher from the Eden project - who is coordinating the work from all around the country - gave an interesting presentation. Our team took her on a trip around the growing areas that have been developed by the Down To Earth project (DTE) over the last year. The DTE project now has 6 allotments it tends as well as a vegetable and herb garden at a nearby hostel for clients with alcohol issues.

It was a very cold day with more snow on its way here in Bradford. It seemed not only a very exciting and ambitious project, but a daunting one too! After our initial enthusiasm we were consumed by panic! But our lead gardeners from BCEP and Keyhouse got their heads together with Hilary and along with our volunteers and clients we began planning in earnest. Next followed the rapid creation of seed trays!

This week we have prioritised clearing our newly aquired and very overgrown allotment. We have decided to invest in a new poly tunnel to accommodate our soon to be grown baby plants. We have also recently reroofed our main greenhouse in preparation for the work ahead with money made available through the funding BACC receives from Bradford and Airedale NHS, for the PATH (Pro-active Approach To Heath) project; a project to improve homeless people's health.

Our seeds are sown and we are all hoping for a warm and early Spring to bring them on! After a hard winter the sun has shone all this week; surely a fortuitous sign! Everyone involved in the project is full of enthusiasm, and want to contribute all we can to what we feel sure will be a garden to inspire a positive reaction from the public. The garden will, we hope, challenge the many negative myths and stereotypes that flourish about homeless people and what a waste of space they are. Let's show them what homeless people can achieve with support; far from being a waste of space they can create a beautiful and bountiful space.

Lets go for gold!