Quadron was approached by Neighbourhood Partners in The Royal Borough of Kingston (Surbiton Neighbourhood) about a Community Gardening Club at the Tolworth Main Allotment who wished to encourage disabled gardeners into the club who had specific needs and required some help and advice.
Quadron contacted Thrive, a charitable organisation that looks after the interests of disabled allotment gardeners, and received some information packages regarding the types of modifications that needed to be made to the plots in order for wheelchair gardeners to be able to safely work in the gardens. Quadron then sought a means of funding this project and with a grant of £750 from the borough and donations in kind from local businesses we went about constructing the raised beds.
Contributors to the project include:
- Travis Perkins (supply of oak sleepers),
- Homebase Ltd (supply of shed and tools),
- Gardencare Ltd (supply of surfacing materials)
Raised beds for Disabled Gardeners
We have since received a further £2.5k from Surbiton Neighbourhood Discretionary fund for a surfaced parking bay for the group which can be used by community transport to drop members of the group to the site.
In the longer term and thinking about sustainability for the group we have drawn up a funding strategy that the group can follow year on year to ensure it has sufficient funding for future events. We have also secured a £350 grant from Age Concern for the group to arrange trips to Thrive Community Garden, Hampton Court Flower Show and Kew Gardens. The group now has 12 gardeners as well as links with KFAG (The Kingston Federation of Allotment Gardeners). Working with KFAG, we have established a buddy scheme between able bodied and disabled gardeners which has helped bring the community together.
Quadron Kingston was nominated by Kingston Chamber of Commerce for Business Champions Awards on 24th April 2008 for corporate community involvement on this project.