This blog is being written by a range of people involved in creating the Key Garden:
Paul Stone – Garden Designer
RHS Chelsea Flower Show gold medal winner, landscaper Paul Stone is a designer at the Eden Project four days a week and also keeps up a private portfolio. The London-born designer lives in Falmouth, Cornwall and is married with two sons.
Rebecca Sycamore – Director of Regional Development at Homeless Link
Trained as a social worker and having worked in London Borough of Ealing with homeless people with serious mental health problems, Rebecca has been with Homeless Link since 2005. Her department provides information, support and guidance to both agencies and commissioners. She is co-ordinating all the groups involved in the Key Garden project.
Faith Lodge Team at St George’s Crypt
Faith Lodge hostel at St George’s Crypt provides an alcohol free ‘dry’ supported accommodation for fifteen men. Residents have their own bedrooms and share communal facilities such as a television lounge, games room and dining room. Full board is provided including a hot cooked meal three times a day. Residents from the hostel are helping to grow and create the Key Garden.
David from HOMElink
David is a client of HOMElink, Littlehampton and a volunteer at the Greenhouse project. He is growing plants for the Key Garden in the nursery.
Steve Weymouth – Business Development Manager at Shekinah Mission
Shekinah Mission, based in Plymouth, is an agency seeking to support people who are homeless, have substance misuse issues, are ex-offenders or feel socially excluded. As well as seeing to people’s physical needs – food, clothing and washing facilities – Shekinah offers advice and support, temporary beds for rough sleepers, an outreach service, as well as recreational activities and meaningful accredited training for those wanting to deal with their issues and move on. A team from the mission is helping to grow and create the Key Garden.
Philip Roy – Building and Construction Tutor, Crewe YMCA Team
Crewe YMCA serves the needs of young people in the South Cheshire community, offering high quality, affordable housing at their 72 bed Foyer in Crewe. Residents are offered individual support, assistance with resettlement and on site training including construction and horticulture.
Watford New Hope Trust team
Watford New Hope Trust runs a day centre, hostel/night shelter and sheltered housing in Watford, in addition to running a series of gardening, cookery, computer work, art and woodwork courses for its clients. Watford New Hope Trust helps more than 600 people each year.
Bournemouth Churches Housing Association (BCHA)
BCHA is a specialist housing and social care provider support provider. We help homeless, vulnerable and other people access the right housing, health, learning and work opportunities – and we have been doing it for over 40 years. Wherever people feel vulnerable or don’t know where to turn, we help them to find a way forward. We deliver our services across a wide geographical area including Dorset, Hampshire, Reading, Wiltshire and Exeter.
