Habinteg’s £2.5k donation makes Bradford community garden accessible to all
Wheelchair users in Bradford will soon be able to visit and volunteer at a local community garden thanks to a £2,500 grant from Habinteg Housing Association.
The money will enable the project’s organisers to pay for wheelchair and pushchair-friendly level pathways in the city’s Westwood Park. A new gate will also link the garden to Eden Gardens, a supported housing scheme run by Habinteg where many residents have mobility impairments.
The garden has been created on a plot of vacant land owned by the NHS. It’s designed to be a wildlife-friendly space where the whole community can learn about horticulture and how to grow their own food.
The community garden is set to open in the first week of April and is free for anyone to use. Around 50 raised planting beds, several greenhouses, and a large community log cabin are already in place.
Christina McGill, Habinteg’s Director of Social Impact and External Affairs, commented: “”We’re very pleased to have been able to contribute funds to the garden scheme as it’s a great community project that promotes health and wellbeing and is a space for the community to come together.”
“Habinteg’s grant ensures that more local people, including Habinteg tenants, have the opportunity to get out of their home to enjoy nature and get involved in their community.”
Luke Majkowski, Bradford’s Queensbury ward Councillor, and co-organiser of the garden scheme, added: “Without Habinteg’s donation the garden wouldn’t have been wheelchair friendly. It’s great to say we’re an accessible garden.”
David Michael Firth, a Habinteg tenant and volunteer for Friends of Westwood Park, the project organiser, commented: “Habinteg’s funding makes it much easier for Eden Gardens residents to access the garden by wheelchair and has sped up the second phase of the project, which includes a wildlife-friendly area.
“The garden will positively contribute to the mental health and wellbeing of all. Thank you to Habinteg for helping us achieve this and to the NHS for allowing us to cultivate the space.”
Over £20,000 has been raised for the Westwood Park garden project, which includes funding from Bradford Council, a local branch of Tesco, and other grants.
Westwood Park garden still needs funding for more gardening equipment and to help the community project thrive. Future plans include fruit trees, a picnic area and benches.
In other news, social landlord Habinteg recently urged the Government to make the M4(2) accessible and adaptable standard the baseline for all new homes in England now.
