Accessibility

We welcome everyone and anyone to come and volunteer in the garden and we’re always happy to help but please note we have only one member of staff who is a gardener and not a medical or mental healthcare  professional so please bring a support worker, friend or family member along the first time you come along if you think you might need one to access the garden.

If you’d like to come and volunteer on a Wednesday please come

  • you don’t have to stay all day
  • you don’t have to come every week so you can fit your volunteering round your energy levels and health and other commitments
  • you don’t have to let us know you’re coming just drop in.
  • And we’ve got lots of different jobs to suit to suit different folks support requirements and no experience or knowledge of gardening is needed.

Creating an accessible space has always been a top priority.  We are lucky that our site is mostly flat which means our wide and level paths are easy to navigate.  We have a raised decked area accessible year round from a hard standing path and ramp through the gate at the end of Monk Road. There are three large raised beds on the decked area designed to be easy to access.  A decking boardwalk links the two sides of the site.

Our fully accessible toilet is up a short ramp.

Our balehouse has ramped access.

The polytunnels hard wide paths and hardstanding floors.


wheelchair

On the other side a wide, hard standing path winds through the edible forest to the shelter and the poly tunnel but is admittedly a little bumpy.   We are aware that the woodchip covering much of the site is a terrible surface to try and navigate wheelchairs or mobility scooters through but the project is a work in progress.  Lots of our  woodchip paths are covered with thick rubber matting which make our boggy paths accessible to everyone – even people without wellies!

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Our pond has a wide hardstanding path to on one side and can be reached down a rubber matting.  We are also planning to build an accessible dipping platform/jetty.

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Our polytunnels have wide paths and are accessible by wheel chair either from the hard standing path or the shelter. With different heights raised beds they are easy to work. Half our raised beds are built out of sleepers and work can be done whilst sitting on the side, to save knees and backs.  Others are built out of scaffold planks and raised off the ground,

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On a Wednesday working day we always have a range of jobs depending on people’s energy levels and preference.  Some of our volunteers like to get a good work out whilst at the garden but there are always jobs that can be done sitting done.  Volunteers are always invited to work within their range, we take lots of breaks and help is always at hand from other volunteers and the project worker.

Parking

We have a small car park on site, right next to the project so please let me know if you intend to drive and due to mobility issues need a place to park and I’ll open the gates.  Call before you come on 07506 905 394.