OMG! AfSL Gardeners Re-emerge!

In 2010/2011 an AfSL Local Project Manager worked in conjunction with Wates Living Space to set-up the Old Moat Gardeners (OMG). Well, guess what… They’re back… In force!!

Mary-Jo Morgan set up the OMG! Project in 2010/11 and through her project was able to recruit other Local Project Managers to help with the project (most notably Lois O’Leary and Shireen Malik). The AfSL-seeded project is now back on the scene with refreshed vigour – renamed as the Old Moats Greenies.

OMG! have just received £8500 in funding:  £3500 from Artist Project Earth, and £5000 from Southway Housing. Southway have asked the Greenies to work on ten of their tenants’ gardens (as part of the Community Benefit Fund): planting fruit trees (to be sourced from The Woodland Trust and Red Rose Forest), building raised beds and more work to be confirmed.  The Greenies are planning to include three other non-Southway Housing properties in the Old Moat area, using their funding from Artist Project Earth.

Pauline Hocking has shared their latest with us:

“Our aim, with both pots of funding, is to transform at least ten gardens drawing on local expertise and resources and to also enrich some common green space.  The aim is to grow fresh local food and to plant for biodiversity as well as increasing our own learning on all things green.  Already the project has brought people together from all different backgrounds and thus reduced isolation.  We are not only sharing ideas but working together in each others gardens creates a tighter more compassionate community.”

More information or to get involved you can contact Pauline on [email protected].