Walled garden reinvented in Madeley
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An open day took place this week to show off a newly reinvented garden in Madeley.
Men in Sheds, a local community group, have been working on the garden, which is located at Hall Barn, one of The Wrekin Housing Trust’s retirement living schemes, for 12 months.
Men in Sheds aims to combat social isolation by bringing men together so they can get involved with practical activities, rather than just staying at home on their own. The walled garden, which is located next to the original grade II listed barn, had become very run down and neglected, but thanks to the work carried out it is now far more accessible and appealing to the residents.
The project was helped along with financial support from Veolia and The Ironbridge Lions, as well as from The Wrekin Housing Trust.
Willie Gormley, a member of Men in Sheds, spoke about the new improvements to the garden, “We have been working on regenerating the walled garden which was pretty much neglected before we arrived, with help from The Wrekin Housing Trust, who allowed us to take over the garden and provided us with funding. We hope to inspire the other schemes to do things similar to what we have done for the benefit of the residents.”
Robert Swann, another member of Men in Sheds who lives in Leegomery, enlightened us on why he gets involved, “It’s life-changing. I travel twice a week to come here and be a part of this terrific outlet. It’s great for me to mix and chat and I’ve met lots of new people and it helps me to keep as active as I can. It’s great to be involved in something that enriches the community and we all work together as a team and own our own projects too. My job for this season is to raise the tomato beds.”
As the open day was drawn to a close, Wayne Gethings, Group Chief Executive at The Wrekin Housing Group, attended the event and said, “I came to officially open the Men in Sheds group here two years ago when we brought the old barn back into use; it’s amazing to see what you’ve all done with the space. It’s a cracking project that brings a lot to the lives of everyone involved with it and I’m really pleased to see the incredible results of what you’ve all worked so hard to do. I’d also like to thank Veolia and The Ironbridge Lions for their support.”
Pictured below at the garden unveiling are L to R: Willie Gormley, Men in Sheds; Mayor of Telford, Stephen Reynolds; Sam Young, Men in Sheds and Wayne Gethings, Group Chief Executive of The Wrekin Housing Group.
19th July 2019