Mark Tomkins helps the Mayor and Mayoress open the Cherwell Wellbeing Garden and Farm

Photo: Paul Husband Photography

Rochdale’s Mayor and Mayoress opening the Cherwell Wellbeing Garden and Farm with Mark Tomkins

The Mayor and Mayoress opened the Cherwell Wellbeing Garden and Farm in Heywood last week, with a little surprise help from Mark Tomkins.

Mark, who attends the Social Lounge Day Centre at PossAbilities Cherwell Wellbeing Hub, jumped in to lend the Mayoress a helping hand and make sure she knew how to cut the ribbon.

Sitting on almost an acre of land, the new development comprises an outdoor kitchen and eating area, a performance space, dipping pond, sensory garden, mud kitchen, growing zone, bee hotel and wildlife corridors.

Rachel Law, PossAbilities Chief Executive, said: “This is a magnificent space, not just for the people with learning disabilities that we support, but for the whole community. We want people to come in, so we are encouraging schools, groups, mums, dads, grandmas’ and grandads’ to get in touch or just come along. As well as all the different spaces, we’ve got pigs, goats, ducks, chickens, rabbits, tanukis, birds and reptiles. Soon we will have lots of bees, frogs and wild hedgehogs.”

The garden will need lots of looking after. If you would like to volunteer a few hours a week contact:

Rachel.law@possabilities.org.uk