The Friary Garden Project was born out of our customers’ dedicated efforts to transform their communal garden into a vibrant and welcoming space.
They worked together to plant beautiful and vivid flowers to add colour to the garden, but soon realised that there was something missing.
During their project meetings with our Independent Living Team, they shared their desire to have a finished pergola and a more inviting outdoor sitting space where they could socialise and relax in good weather days. They also wanted a shed to store their gardening equipment and climbing plants to compliment the pergola.
Thanks to our partner Purdy, and their social value contribution, our customers at the Friary independent living scheme were able to see their plans materialise into a charming outdoor space to enjoy this summer.
The Purdy contracts manager and our Independent Living Team Leader worked closely to understand our customers’ vision and ensure that their needs were met.
The Purdy team built a new pergola to match the existing one and installed a sturdy and functional patio. Our customers were delighted with this because they could now enjoy the garden without sinking into the grass which was one of their main concerns.
I can share that as a team, we are delighted with the outcome of this project. It's nice to see that our customers are socialising and interacting with each other more, including those who don't usually join in - Keiley Delieu, Independent Living Team Leader
The Friary Garden project aimed to create a welcoming outdoor space that serves as a gathering spot for customers to connect, socialise, and build a stronger community.
Many of the customers living in this scheme experience feelings of loneliness and isolation. Therefore, the opportunity to create an inviting outdoor space holds the promise of alleviating social isolation and enhancing their well-being through social interaction.
We hope that, with this project, our customers can reap the mental health benefits of spending time outdoors and around other people.
By approaching our partners for social value projects like the Friary Garden Project, we are able to deliver more well-being initiatives and improve our customers’ day to day experiences in our homes.
With further social value support from other partners, we hope to acquire essential seating, shading, and storage elements for the outdoor space, including a suitable garden parasol, table, chairs, and shed, to finalise this project.
These additional resources will streamline garden maintenance efforts and ensure the longevity of the garden plants that our customers have so carefully nurtured.