Legacy
Legacy
Please note: this post is 105 months old and The Cares Family is no longer operational. This post is shared for information only
As our summer gardening project comes to a close, how better to pave the way for more acts of green goodness than share what we got up to? Check out how our volunteers have helped their older neighbours to make the most of their gardens this summer.
In June we made a call to action to our volunteers to help out older neighbours with their gardens. In the heat of the summer, we all want to be outside enjoying the good weather as much as we can. But that can be a real problem for older south Londoners not able to keep their gardens under control. In fact, some of our older neighbours said having an overgrown garden made them feel doubly isolated.
Motivated to help their older neighbours to enjoy the summer in their gardens, a dozen volunteers stepped up to the challenge. First up was Tessa, Anna and Sophie who spent a hot July day in Southwark working on Theresa, Elsie and Jean's gardens in Camberwell and Elephant and Castle!
Theresa, 71, told us that she felt like a weight had been lifted now that she could enjoy her outside space. After much pruning, chopping and clearing her garden was fit for a summer of fun!
Over in Elephant and Castle, Jean, 87, was in awe of the dynamism of our gardening gang who wasted no time in restoring her garden path and taking care of her plants: "it's given me a real boost to have this help – it means a lot to me".
Our next gardening session was just as energetic, and hotter too. Volunteers Cassie, Marie, Charlotte and Debbie got to work on their older neighbour's gardens in Lambeth. Gene's garden was completely off limits when they started, but by the end she was able to hang out her washing, walk her dog and enjoy the new found space!
Down the road in Streatham, our volunteers were rewarded for their efforts with a cool drink and tips on growing tomatoes from Estella! She told us that watching her garden growing out of control has felt depressing, so it was brilliant to turn that around.
The biggest challenge came next, with Edward, 83, in Streatham. Since he became less mobile a few years ago, he's not been able to get out and take care of it. He said that "it used to be my pride and joy – the best garden on the street!"
Our gardening gang got to work digging, weeding, pruning and clearing all whilst hearing stories from Edward's childhood growing up in Kennington.
Every day our volunteers bring joy, laughter and new friendships into the lives of their isolated older neighbours. The impact a few hours spent helping someone out when they need that extra support can't be underestimated. Thank you to everyone who gave their time and energy - you don't know how much it was appreciated.
If you'd be interested in helping out an older neighbour like Jean or Edward on a more regular basis, please get in touch. You can email [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you soon!