Rochdale’s homeless to showcase their inspiring garden at Tatton Park

Petrus Community will be showcasing a garden at this year’s Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Tatton Park Flower Show.

The Rochdale-based homelessness charity has announced it will have a double back to back garden at this year’s Tatton Park Flower Show.

The garden has been designed by a team from Petrus Incredible Edibles Rochdale (PIER) who wanted the garden to reflect a service user’s journey through life with Petrus. Service users have drawn on their past experiences and it is hoped the garden will challenge negative stereotypes associated with homelessness.

The charity worked closely with its staff, volunteers and service users over recent months to perfect its application after gaining recognition for its project work by the RHS.

PIER is a community garden in Rochdale which aims to get service users out of negative routines through improved health and wellbeing, developing social relationships and improved mental health.

 

 

Rachael Bennion, Petrus Engagement and Development Worker, said: “Everyone is absolutely delighted with the news and we’re so excited to get started.

“This means so much to our volunteers and service users. Gardening is fantastic for their mental health and wellbeing, and Tatton Park gives them the opportunity to show the skills that they’ve developed and what they’re capable of achieving.

“We’d like visitors to come and visit our garden and feel inspired by the work that Petrus does for homelessness, and to see what people can be capable of if the correct support is in place.

“We’d like to say a big thank you to our sponsors: The Guinness Partnership, M&Y Maintenance and Construction, Rochdale Rotary Club, Rochdale Borough Council and the RHS. Their support so far has been outstanding, and we’re looking forward to working together on such an exciting project”.

 

 

Sponsors are donating funds to PIER for the garden, which include features, plants and pre-fabrication work.

Guinness customers, including customers from Rochdale’s Newbold Estate, have also been involved in the design of the garden, and are now looking forward to getting stuck in with the actual planting. Brian Hamlin, Community Partnership Manager for The Guinness Partnership, said: “We are delighted to be working with Petrus and supporting this community garden.

“The garden reflects Guinness’s vision of partnership working in the community, our focus on green estates, and giving our customers great places to live”.

The RHS Tatton Park Flower Show takes place between 17 and 21 July 2019.

• www.petrus.org.uk/pier.php