Over the past year, green spaces have been more important than ever, allowing us to reconnect, focus and relax. Now, the people we support at our Bridgend community have given nature a boost thanks to a new garden scheme from environmental charity Keep Wales Tidy.
The Keep Wales Tidy ‘Local Places for Nature’ development packages include free training, advice, practical help and support for community groups and organisations to install new green spaces, as well as tools, materials and equipment to care for them long-term.
Our community provides a home, work, training and support to people who have been homeless. During the past few months, the people we support have created a large-scale food growing area in our garden.
Our retail operation provides the people we support with meaningful work opportunities. Since March 2020, this has been drastically affected by the coronavirus pandemic and our shops were forced to close for a large portion of the year.
Having this project from Keep Wales Tidy has helped keep the people we support engaged and active, which has improved their mental health and well-being and provided a space for us to grow our own fruit and vegetables to help us become slightly more sustainable in the future.
Deputy Chief Executive for Keep Wales Tidy, Louise Tambini, said:
“We’re delighted that groups like Emmaus South Wales have had the opportunity to make a positive difference through Local Places for Nature. We look forward to seeing how their new food growing area benefits the local community as well as the nature on their doorstep.”
The initiative is part of a wider £5m Welsh Government ‘Local Places for Nature’ fund committed to acquiring, restoring and enhancing nature ‘on your doorstep’.
Packages are still available to community groups and organizations. To apply for Local Places for Nature, visit www.keepwalestidy.cymru/nature
If you would like to donate gardening equipment or seeds to our community, please contact us at [email protected]