The Kingsgate Resource Centre is run by Camden Social Services and provides support, daytime care and entertainment and specialised services for older people in Camden and occasionally from just over the border into Brent. Among the services are a language class for Somali ladies and a Stroke Rehabilitation project. Both these projects have used the garden which GO London volunteers created over a series of four events.
The project began with the shell of a raised bed garden which had been originally set up with polluted soil in the beds. This meant that the flowers placed there had quickly been strangled by knotweed, bindweed, thistles and brambles and was unattractive and not tempting to sit in.
On the first event, volunteers removed all the soil from three large raised beds. It filled a skip and several dozen sacks, and it took the 18 volunteers just five hours. The second and third visits were taken up with lining the beds with weed-proof membrane and refilling with clean soil, and finally 14 volunteers returned to plant up. Time was also spent on the patio area at the other side of the building which was another poorly used outdoor space.
The design had been created by a combination of staff and users from Kingsgate; professional advice from Camden Parks department and input from GO volunteers as well. The theme was a sensory haven for the users of the centre to enjoy and use throughout the year.
The members of the Stroke Rehabilitation project can now use the garden to do gentle weeding and exploring textures and shapes in the beds as part of their mobility development. The Somali Ladies group can now enjoy classes outside in the mild spring weather and had spent time talking to each other in English about the garden. The Elderly Aerobics club hold sessions in the garden, using the benches built into the plan and the edges of the raised beds to rest on while doing their upper body exercises.
Comments from volunteers
After the final event, Lara said “I liked the fact that we could see the evolution, the changes thanks to our own work, it was very rewarding”.
When asked what he had enjoyed about the day Stephen told us “It was really hard work! But what a sense of accomplishment from filling the skip and cleaning out the beds as well as fixing the patio”. Stephen returned to all four events and is keen to lead a group there next summer for more improvements to Kingsgate.
Comments from the venue
Staff from Kingsgate said “Most of our clients are elderly and live in flats with no gardens. This project will give them a lot of happiness. [Our expectations have been] more than met. And I was very impressed at the way [the volunteers] worked: very hard, and always seemed happy to help.”
The centre expressed their appreciation with a plaque recongising the volunteers' work, unveiled at the Disability Provision Roadshow, and a photo display showing the transformation.
If you are interested in offering your creative talents for future projects, please contact GO on 020 7643 1341 or email gocity@csv.org.uk.
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