May 2007

~ working together, growing independence

We offer accredited training and experience in horticulture to adults with learning disabilities and mental health needs; we sell organic vegetables and plants (specialising in unusual perennials) from our three sites in Northumberland, UK.

Growability is registered as limited company no. 4624342. Full & associate members are drawn from service users, carers and staff at three horticultural training units (see company information). Our most recent management committee meeting was at Sleekburn on 26/04/07. Our AGM is on Friday, 4th May 2007 at Hepscott Park.

Please follow the links below to each of our three sites if you are interested in finding out more about our service or in buying some of our produce.

THS at Ridley Hall (near Bardon Mill, Hexham)	THS plant sales
Hepscott Park HSU (near Morpeth)	plant sales from HSU 20^th anniversary pictures
Sleekburn HTU (between Ashington and Blyth)	sales of organic produce & plants from HTU

Read article about Growability & camping trips in Thrive’s “Network News”

Occasional newsletter – Branching Out – see new issue 7

For related organisations visit Growability links.

For vacancies, paid or voluntary, at any of the Units visit growabilityjobs

Anemone and Corydalis at Hepscott Park

Growability at Chelsea: 2005 → 2008?

We aim to exhibit a courtyard garden at the Chelsea Flower Show in May 2008 with the theme “Northumberland”. Many ideas for the design have been submitted by service users and staff. We have chosen a design based on those ideas and drawn by Amanda Younger, a volunteer at the Units.

A group of 15 survived the crowds at the 2006 Chelsea Flower Show on Thursday, 25^th May, and came away shattered but with some ideas and inspiration for 2008. There is still a lot to do!

We are looking for sponsorship to help us with our Chelsea garden – to find out how to give money, click on the link to the right. Last year saw a number of successful fund-raising events, and more are being planned for 2007.

Sunday 10^th September: Sponsored bike ride across Northumberland. Clive, Chris, Brian and Ann (shown left at Kirkley Hall) enjoyed their 50 mile sponsored ride from Ridley Hall to Sleekburn HTU, linking together the three Horticultural Training Units involved in the bid to enter Chelsea. They were joined by 7 other cyclists at Kirkley Hall, Tranwell and Hepscott Park, and about 20 supporters followed their progress.

HELP

GROWABILITY

SHOW at

CHELSEA 08

MONEY RAISED SO FAR:

£8,900.00

Growability Garden Works is a social enterprise which re-designs and re-shapes private gardens, specialising in making them more accessible. In July 2005 it completed its first contract in a garden in Hexham. We are looking for more business. If you live in Tynedale & have a garden you would like us to look at please follow the link on the right or send us an email ->. We have been busy throughout 2006 and have now completed eight contracts. pictures
Our three horticultural units are managed by the Northumberland Care Trust on behalf of Northumberland County Council.
Garden Works Contract at West Woodburn, Northumberland: This has been our biggest contract to date, taking 7 weeks to complete. Our aim was to create a garden that was accessible to an occupant of the house who uses a wheelchair. Some elements of the original garden were retained – the roses for example – but in a much simplified design that related more successfully to the house and conservatory. The picture below was taken just before completion of the contract. We will return in the spring to sow grass seed on the area of soil adjacent to the conservatory. The soil edged with box hedging on the right of the picture will be a rose bed. Far right: Fuchsia boliviana – photographed at Kew during the HSU trip, September 2005. The HSU propagated and sold F. boliviana back in 1985, originally from Edinburgh Botanical Gardens.

Victoria amazonica at Edinburgh Botanical Garden – THS Perthshire trip in 2005
The “Alnwick Garden” rose planted by the Duchess of Northumberland at the 20^th anniversary celebrations at Hepscott Park, 21^st July 2005	Map of Northumberland showing the 3 Growability sites (far left, THS, Ridley Hall; centre, HSU, Hepscott Park; far right, HTU,Sleekburn)

YHA hostel at Tanner’s Hatch, near Dorking, Surrey (right) - accommodation for the HSU trip to Kew and Wisley in 2005. WebCounter visitor number since 27/06/03 Comments about this site to: Page revised: 30/04/2007

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