Community partnership brings Gary’s garden to life
It’s been a real team effort at Bideford Community Centre over the past few months, and we’re excited to share that Gary’s garden – a warm and welcoming outdoor space created in memory of much-loved volunteer Gary – is now open to the public!
The community centre welcomed members of the community on Tuesday 2nd December at their grand opening, with the Lord Mayor in attendance, as well as our contractor The Casey Group Ltd., who contributed to the garden as part of their social value with us.
What started as a chat between our Community Development team and Kirsty, who runs the centre, quickly grew into something special. After Kirsty put in a request through our Community Chest – a programme which matches community asks with offers from our supply chain – our Community Development team got to work and were able to match Casey with the centre.
Casey worked with Kirsty every step of the way to help bring her idea to life. They redesigned and re‑landscaped the whole area, including installing a wheelchair‑accessible ramp and timber beams to create a more sustainable green space. Their investment in the project truly shows, from the work they’ve done to the almost-£30K contribution made from their social value budget!
The new space means the centre can support even more residents while keeping Gary’s legacy at the heart of everything they do.
Our other contractor, the Bell Group were also matched through the Community Chest, donating and assembling outdoor tables and chairs so the centre can fully open the garden and start serving food outdoors.
The Community Chest is a great resource for the community, but it’s not instantaneous. Each match is carefully brokered by our Community Development team, who negotiate with suppliers, shape proposals and bring everyone together to make sure each project is realistic and has real impact. It’s a lot of work for even the smallest of matches, but we couldn’t make great work like the garden happen without it!
Shannon Fitzgerald, our Lead Community Development Coordinator, added: “It’s been brilliant working with Casey and Bell Group on something that will make such a positive difference for local residents. This project shows exactly what can happen when we all work together for our community. A huge thank you to everyone involved.”
If you’d like to get involved in future community projects, you can email our Community Development team at communitydevelopment@wchg.org.uk.
