Galloway Gardens - a retrospective

 

It was eerily quiet that morning at CVL without the team who, on a Tuesday at that time, would usually have been laughing and joking, eating their lunch and chatting over the achievements of the day at Galloway Gardens. Instead we talked in that strange silence of the year’s work, reflecting on the achievements, the developments in the physical space and the changes wrought in the lives of individuals. This is a story of a project coming to an end – of the sense of immense satisfaction with tangible and positive change,  tinged with regret and foreboding and not a little sadness.  

But we’re starting at the end – how did this project begin and what happened? 

The project at Galloway Gardens began with CVL, a community organisation based in Thorntree working with local people, some of whom become involved in volunteering. A local green space owned by Thirteen Housing,   once cared for by the mother of a volunteer,  had fallen into disuse and recognising the positive benefits of working outdoors on physical and mental health, CVL made a bid to YGT  to support the development of this space. This  was successful and support from Thirteen Housing and MVDA was put in place for a year. A key member of staff from CVL became ‘the face’ of Galloway Gardens, meeting and greeting people, taking charge of the communications and social media posts. In recognition of the work of the resident who had cared for the land before the project was named ‘Galloway Gardens’.  

There was no pre-set plan as to how the garden would be developed and in many ways this was its strength – starting from a ‘blank canvas’ enabled the volunteers to lead and to develop ideas on the best use of the space and the best use of skills. There was an expectation of growing things but no set plan from the start of how things should be that might restrict imagination and ambition. The project built on the skills and interests of the volunteers. For example: ‘suddenly out of nowhere we discovered that some of the volunteers really liked to build stuff…. So it just happened’.   

So from a bland space with a few old disused planters emerged an urban garden, which grows vegetables and fruit; providing a haven for wildlife; and presenting a lush green haven of flowers, cared for planters including wheelchair friendly ones;  a polytunnel; seating and reflection space; bird houses;  a water feature and sensory garden and a summerhouse built from scratch housing space to sit and enjoy the view. Residents and children came to enjoy the garden and despite its location, one where anti-social behaviour is rife, no vandalism has occurred.  

As explained by one participant: “So the garden, aesthetically, it's beautiful, its an absolutely beautiful garden now from when we first started. But the changes brought into the community, it brings a lot to the community. When CVL eventually leave doing the garden we've left a legacy there and it brings the community together every week”. (D) 

Although support was provided to the volunteers, from Thirteen and MVDA  this never was a project that differentiated between the roles of individual people, rather it provided opportunity for individuals to take on roles that best suited them or most interested them and allowed the possibility of change and sustained commitment.  

“There wasn’t  a distinction between who was a manager, who was a service user, who was a leader of the team, who's being trained – all of that kind of gelled into you're individuals and you take what you want out of it and you take the role on that day depending on what you want it to be”.  

This egalitarian approach to volunteer development engendered the feeling of closeness between the team, almost like a ‘family coming together to do something and to give something’.  This caring, respectful and supportive ambience in the garden assisted the development of independent thought and enabled volunteers to be more vocal about what they felt. Also ‘to be more aspirational, to let their inner child out’.  

 This doesn’t mean to say that there aren’t the usual successes that so often are used to identify the outcome from funding programmes. There is the garden itself of course; and that two of the previously unemployed volunteers are now in paid jobs and another has progressed in his employment. Volunteers have learnt to use tools and fundamentals of caring for green space, working as a team, problem solving and regular attendance at a project. There was regular exercise and fresh air and around 20 people participating in the project.  

“For me it's a lifestyle change it's creating for people. I don't realise I'm exercising when I'm over there”…..  “Because it's fun. Gardening’s fun, and we're moving a lot, and we're moving body parts we would never move”. 

But when we asked the volunteers what they felt the most significant change had been for them the usual indicators of success were not the aspects of their lives they referred to.  They spoke of confidence and the ability to express themselves to others. They spoke of making friends and coming out of isolation. They spoke of having a sense of belonging and of achievement and self worth and having a passion for something in which they were involved. And they spoke of bridging the gap between organisations, residents and neighbours. They spoke of ownership and pride.  

“it's more about the minor day-to-day achievements that have made me feel that it has been a success, rather than the transformation when we say it's gone from this to this……  For me it's the everyday achievements that have been more of an impact”. 

What was it that enabled the success that participants identified as being significant to them? Clearly the support of Thirteen, MVDA and the funding to CVL were essential as this  ensured there were people to support on the days and the times stated – providing consistency and developing trust. Having a real part to play in the community and knowing that the work being done was valued. Having a sense of achievement and accomplishment and being accepted in a caring and supportive environment  - these were all identified as being essential parts of the success of Galloway Gardens.  

Clearly the people and the way they worked with the group  – CVL, MVDA and Thirteen personnel had  a massive effect in creating the trust essential to its success. How the project was managed and supervised played to the needs of a group of people lacking in self-confidence and self-esteem. Other innovations too played a part for example the reflection space.  This gave the opportunity for the people involved to feel they are part of this ‘family of participants’. 

“The reflection space is a really fabulous kind of space because it has been a space where we've spoken about a lot of things…. having an understanding of what is said there stays there and that’s it's a very non-judgemental kind of area”.  

It was difficult for the people involved in the project to pick out the significant change in their lives  and where and when it was experienced. In discussion it felt like a combination of many different things melding into a ‘magical’ experience of people coming together in mutual understanding, sharing and achieving. There were no single words to explain the feeling.  “But sometimes magic can't be explained in words, it can only be experienced” said one person. 

So why did we talk on that day about foreboding, regret and sadness?  

Regret and foreboding comes from the end of funding for a project that has so obviously  fulfilled a need in the community of Thorntree – an area which has had its fill of organisations arriving, staying for the length of the funding and then disappearing.  

“Projects start and we all get engaged with it and we get like really excited about it, but then the money runs out and then that's gone”. 

It was thought by some that funding for a further year might have assisted in ensuring its sustainability but given the age group of the residents local to the gardens it seemed unlikely that a longer period of time would make the project independently sustainable by neighbours taking over.  

Without funding,  can and how would a project which relies on support from organisations continue,  was the question?. It is not that the organisations want to withdraw – it is more that they have to in order to continue to exist. To sustain themselves more funding sources are needed and this draws the people involved in other directions – to other new and innovative funding bid opportunities. It is likely that large organisations such as Thirteen can continue to support but who will be the ‘face’ and the communicators for the project?   

“Unfortunately, we love our job but we can't do our job for free because it's our job and we have overheads to pay and things like that, so unfortunately without funding what can you do? You go to work to get paid, and we don’t do the garden because we get paid to do the garden, we do the garden because we love it, but we have to cover our costs at the same time”. 

And the sadness? The end of funding also feels that there has been a lack of recognition of the work done and without the regularity the fear that the  relationships which have become so close and meaningful might be lost. Having come to care  for each other  and  for the team,  the silence of the Tuesday morning of people who are not there can be very loud.  

Nevertheless on a further visit to Galloway Gardens a few weeks after our meeting we met with two volunteers continuing to spend their time there. There was no sign of the project ending as they were preparing the ground for winter cabbages, clearing the fallen leaves;  pleased to show us in the poly tunnel the final crops of tomatoes, the healthy cuttings from plants ready to plant in the Spring  and awaiting the support from John at Thirteen who had promised to show them what was needed to prepare the site for winter. They told us of the certificates they had received and of which they were very proud and their pleasure when the children from the local school come into the garden and the time they spend sharing their learning and skills with them.  

So although this important recognition may not have come from continued funding it has come in other ways. Has anything changed for these volunteers – well perhaps the availability of hot water coming from CVL for the morning cuppa partaken as they lean on their spades or rakes and contemplate the loveliness of what has been created at Galloway Gardens.   

Thank you to Dean, Emma, Rob and Suganya for sharing their stories of Galloway Gardens.

Video diary

All the work here is written and produced by Norma Wilburn.