Green-fingered Gwalia tenants are hoping to come up smelling of… well, vegetables as their community garden is shortlisted for a prestigious community award.
Young gardeners at the Aberdulais Dreamscheme project have been shortlisted in the Environments Project category of the TPAS (Tenant Participation Advisory Service) Participation Awards. The award recognises and celebrates the hard work people and local communities are doing to make their homes an even better place to live.
Representatives of the Dreamscheme project have been invited to the award ceremony in Llandudno on 14th July and hope to inspire others to emulate schemes like this in their communities.
Gwalia Housing’s Community Development Team has been working with children and young people in Aberdulais to maintain a community garden for the past four years to help them grow their own vegetables. More than 90 volunteers aged between 8 and 14 have been involved in the ‘work=points=reward’ scheme since it began in 2007.
They carried out litter picks, fence painting and bulb planting around the estate and gardening to make their communities, clean, healthy and happy places to live and in doing so, gained points for fun rewards such as trips to Oakwood and various other attractions.
Lead officer Amanda Roberts said their hard work has already been recognised by the Neath Port Talbot Environment Awards in 2012 but this nomination recognises how the young people have continued to commit to making the community garden a success.
“The key aim of the Dreamscheme project was to engage those aged between 8 and 14 in local environmental activities, reduce issues which could be considered anti-social and improve community cohesion. This nomination shows that we are making amazing progress in meeting the key objectives but also recognises each and every individual who has played their part in making the Aberdulais Dreamscheme Project an enormous success.
“The garden is now full of potatoes, cauliflower, spinach, onions, garlic, herbs, runner beans, tomatoes, aubergines, strawberries, carrots and peas! The Dreamschemers want to hold a tea party for their community this summer, so we really hope we have a bumper crop to cook with.”
For more information about Dreamscheme projects contact Amanda Roberts on 01792 488011 or amanda.roberts@gwalia.com.
