I’m a chartered engineer by profession and was the Member of Parliament for Crosby for 13 years. Now that I’m retired, I’ve become a volunteer at Emmaus Merseyside and very proud to be associated with the organisation that I’ve long admired. Emmaus do excellent work and to be involved in that work is extremely fulfilling for me and the other volunteers.

Getting involved with Emmaus wasn’t particularly straight forward because the pandemic got in the way. When I first went to sign up as a volunteer in 2020 there were rumours of a national lockdown and so it was decided the activity related to volunteers had to be put into abeyance until everybody knew what was happening. I waited until summer and the lockdown was lifted but soon enough, there were further discussions about bringing everything to a close again.

Getting started

In the August I went down, met with a staff member and filled out all the necessary paperwork. I also brought my very good friend Janet with me and she signed up too. We were absolutely delighted when we found out that the volunteers Emmaus were particularly looking for were gardeners. I’m an extremely keen gardener and Janet was just getting into gardening. Then we saw the garden and we couldn’t have been more excited – it was absolutely fantastic. The site is extraordinarily well developed in terms of its physical landscape but there’s a lot to be done to bring the site on to its full potential.

We started last September but no sooner had we started, another lockdown was upon us. Mercifully, the restrictions of the latest lockdown which started in January meant we weren’t barred from working outside on the site as volunteers. We go there three days a week and have been joined by Dave, another volunteer, and companions. We are usually a team of six on any given day and we’re now motoring.

My role in the garden is chief dogsbody. I am responsible for sorting out the things – tools, materials, support and help – that people need in order to do the things they’re good at. As an engineer I tend to sort out the logistics side of things as well as doing my heart’s desire which is propagating new plants. I love propagation and my intention is to grow at least a couple of thousand plants this year which we can sell to the public. This will help Emmaus get the income that it needs to sustain their activities.

Dreaming big

That garden allows you to dream as it has such potential. As well as the on-site garden and growing area, Emmaus is also responsible for an adjacent green. When I look at all of that I think gosh, what could we do with that site? We think we can provide most of the vegetables that are needed by the companions who live at the Emmaus Merseyside community. The space can provide a wonderful, calm, happy environment in which companions can participate. We’re all doing this because it’s fun, we enjoy it and we get to laugh a lot. We get spoilt by companions because they bring us cups of coffee and we get to join them in eating fresh produce such as paprika wedges for lunch. They’re absolutely delicious!

In terms of its commercial potential, we plan to grow produce to sell and I think we could work with the local community to host a regular farmers market. We could bring our products to the market along with local businesses, sharing the opportunity that this space provides. Ultimately, I’d like to see the garden being productive all year round and open it up as a market garden to allow people to come in and purchase plants. Plants which are not your usual bog-standard plants but ones which are a bit unusual or more difficult to grow.

Really rewarding

My biggest satisfaction as a volunteer at Emmaus is the companionship. It’s the opportunity to give back really, and to receive. In giving, you receive so much, and I’ve just been overwhelmed by the generosity shown by my fellow volunteers, companions and the staff at Emmaus. It’s been a wonderful experience and I couldn’t think personally of a better, more wonderful job that I could be undertaking right now.

I’m extremely grateful because whilst others have been locked up indoors, I’ve had access to a beautiful garden and wonderful people. This opportunity of volunteering has given me a real purpose and something that I’m really grateful for. For those thinking of becoming a volunteer at Emmaus, you shouldn’t hesitate. You’ll be surrounded by really kind, lovely people and you’ll find volunteering will bring an awful lot to your life. It’s something that’s really rewarding.

Becoming a volunteer at Emmaus is extremely liberating because you can bring your best and it will be received. That applies to artists, engineers like myself, accountants like Dave, tax officials like Janet. It doesn’t matter what your skills or experiences are, they’ll be important at Emmaus and they’ll find an outlet that can be used and utilised for the benefit of the community that we’re privileged to be working with.