by Trevor Bevins, Local Democracy Reporter.
A community gardening project in Dorchester is to hold an event next week (June 17) inviting ideas to help shape its future.
Volunteer Centre Dorset has taken over the running of the project, on a riverside site, part of Red Cow Farm, off Lubbecke Way, which is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall.
The Garden & People (GAP) project, seeks to help people with their mental health.
It was initially launched by Dorset Mind in 2019 and officially became an independent registered charity in 2022, leasing the site through Dorchester Town Council – with raised beds, a small parking area, and plans for other additions to the site.
The Volunteer Centre say it aims to build on the original concept of the site and is holding the open event, by invitation, to offer an opportunity to organisations to become part of what it describes as a ‘collective’ to run activities there. It says it will also seek to ensure that the wider community retains access and makes good use of the site and offers a “educational, creative and learning environment,” especially for groups which frequently face barriers and challenges within the community.
“A garden space can be beneficial in respect of improving physical, mental and emotional health, cultivating connections and providing empowerment and purpose. It can also provide a sense of pride and achievement and a celebration of the local community,” said the Volunteer Centre in its invitation to organisations which might like to be involved.
