Labour Environmental Officer visits Status 4 All leisure garden and allotments

Adam Williams, Labour’s Environmental Officer for Middleton & Heywood, recently visited the Status 4 All leisure garden and allotments in Langley, which is run by Councillor Sue Smith and her husband, Terry Smith.

Though the allotment has a history spanning over three decades, it had fallen on hard times until Councillor Smith acquired the land back in 2008.  Both Councillor Smith and Terry describe the land back then as being ‘massively overgrown’, ‘full of rubbish’, and ‘known for being a drug dealing spot.’

Once acquired, the first job was to get the professionals in to create a space that could be developed, and then together, with the help of many young people from Langley and Middleton, they put in thousands of hours of voluntary work to create something unique for the local residents.

They also stressed the importance of partnership work: lots of partners have been involved in the project and, to date.

Councillor Smith has also been successful in receiving hundreds of thousands of pounds of funding to regenerate the area. Middleton Township have not only funded parts of the project, they have also shown great support from day one. 

Funding has also been received from 'Ambition for Ageing' to run sessions for elderly people that are lonely and isolated, as a way of bringing them into the community. 

Mr Williams said: “I could see the pride in both Sue and Terry when they describe how much the young people of the area had been involved, and continue to be involved. 

"I got a real sense that the aim of the community garden is to not only create a space for people to come and relax, but also to be a creative, and active place, with special attention on giving young people something worthwhile to get involved in.”

On one side, there is a 'memory garden' where people have planted trees for loved ones, as well as a bench in honour of Fusilier Lee Rigby, donated by Bowlee housing.

The garden also has a number of projects that will require people coming along and getting stuck in, such as: renovating a bird hide, raised beds, a sensory garden and herb garden, the kids’ corner and a long-term project to grow enough produce to supply the local food banks.

Currently, there is also a project in which a recently donated car is going to be stripped and the shell brought into the garden, painted with animals, and surrounded with flowers.

In addition to these projects, there has recently been funding from Viridor to put a power line in the garden to power the cabin, and will mean that for the first time, people will have somewhere to get out of the rain, get a brew, and sit comfortably.

Councillor Smith wants the cabin to run on solar power, which is her goal for this year, as part of her aims to make the garden as environmentally friendly as possible.

Mr Willimas added: “This I am told is to be a monument to all the animals that have been killed in wars, which shows just how creative people are allowed to be. And this is not the only part of the garden that Sue and Terry want people to get involved in, which becomes clear when you walk around, as there are a number of projects that are under way.

“I was really impressed. It was a lovely hot day, and I could just see local residents coming in and using it as a place to unwind, relax, and socialise. place to unwind, relax, and socialise.

“For their part, Sue and Terry will be the first to admit that they cannot do it all on their own, and I know that they would love to make connections with anyone that would be willing to give their time in making it a success.”

Adam added: “I am happy to come down and help out when free, and I truly hope that others will also get involved.”

If you have green fingers, are good with woodwork, have knowledge of solar panels, can strip a car, or have years of experience in how to get the best out of an allotment, contact Councillor Smith:

status4u@live.co.uk

07767 820 987

If you have a story regarding green projects, environmental activism, or environmental information that you think others in Middleton & Heywood would like to know about, email Adam Williams:

awilliams1979@yahoo.com