Hatts Chats and Giggles

Social Seeds and Garden Dreams with Hattersley Community Big Garden Project

• PAC Media • Season 1 • Episode 5

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Discover how the Hattersley Community Big Garden Project is transforming lives and spaces, one garden at a time. Join us as we highlight the inspiring journey of this community initiative with Lesley, one of the project's directors. From the addition of a new roof to the upcoming community cafes like Elderberries for seniors and Seedlings for children, Lesley shares the passion and dedication that drives these efforts. With free coffee, cake, and engaging activities, these cafes aim to foster a sense of belonging and connection among residents, all set against the backdrop of exciting summer events such as a teddy bears picnic and a summer bug ball supported by Tesco.

We also explore the dynamic social engagement of the Hattersley Projects community group, focusing on their active Facebook presence and successful collaborations. Initiatives such as the Tesco Stronger Starts program and fundraising efforts like the Macmillan cake sale highlight the community's ongoing development and future aspirations. Our conversation underscores the importance of securing funding to continue building and expanding this vibrant hub for local engagement.

Poem - Reflections by Mavis Miles recited by Roy Page

Hattersley Projects Email - admin@hattersleyprojects.org
Hattersley Projects Webpage - https://hattersleyprojects.org
Hattersley Projects Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/HattersleyProjects

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Rob Page:

14 years ago next month, like a band of refugees, we came to live in the country, midst the flowers and the trees, not certain if we'd like it, not sure we'd want to stay. We lived so long in Manchester and this was miles away. The scenery was beautiful, the air so fresh and clean, the hills looked like a patchwork quilt, all different shades of green. But our houses were our pride and joy and every one, brand new, Held things we'd only ever dreamed of, like a bathroom and an inside loo, hot water for the taking. Till now we'd used a kettle, electric plugs in every room. Oh, oh god, please help us to settle. We've a garden, front and rear, and a garage for the car. Now, suddenly, we realise how fortunate we are. It's taken 14 years, but time has truly taught us Hattersley was the perfect place to raise our sons and daughters.

Mark:

Welcome to Hats, chats and Giggles podcast. That was a poem called Ref by mavis mines, written in 1977 and recited by roy page, who featured on episode two. From salford to hattersley a poet's journey through change. If you want to hear more of poetry and a bit more about roy, get on episode two folks. So today we're shining a light on one of the fantastic initiatives in our community. We're joined by Leslie from Hattersley Community Big Garden Project.

Mark:

Before we dive into today's episode, I'd like to apologise for the delay in releasing this podcast. It was recorded back in late July and we've been really, really busy here at Arts Chats. Beryl's been in a beefer raving all summer so she hasn't managed to get it edited down, so some of the events Leslie mentions have already taken place. While some time has passed since our chat, the purpose of this podcast remains the same to celebrate and showcase the incredible work happening right here in our neighbourhood the incredible work happening right here in our neighbourhood. So sit back, relax and let's hear from Lesley about the exciting plans and developments in the Hatterslib Community Big Garden Project. And remember, even though some events may have passed, the passion and community spirit behind this project are still going strong. Say hello Lesley, hello, how's it going? You all right?

Lesley:

It's going very well, thank you. A bit warm today, it is a bit warm today.

Mark:

We sat in a building with a new roof.

Lesley:

Amazing.

Mark:

Amazing roof and there's work going on in progress and I can smell the shavings of pine and, like I say, we're the community big garden project so yeah, tell us a bit about where I am. What. How does it all work?

Lesley:

well, um, I'm one of the directors here, um, along with a few others, and we're all volunteers, um, I've been here for the last three years, but we took it over about 16 months ago, so work's really accelerated on the projects. So, like I said, we've got a new roof now. This will be our fantastic new cafe shortly, and we will be hosting on a Saturday our Elderberries cafe, where it is free coffee and cake for the more senior residents on the estate and surrounding areas. And we're also very excited to start our own seedlings cafe, so that's for the little ones on the estate as well. So this bit we're sat in now will be full of games, toys, soft play, um, so that we can encourage everybody from the estate and surrounding areas to come join in together. Have a nice time.

Mark:

That sounds fantastic, and when does that event go?

Lesley:

Well, we're hoping the roof will be finished this week and then we can get all the new furniture in. So by the start of the school holidays we're hoping everything will be ready, because we've got four sessions, one a week for the children to come to. We've got a teddy bears picnic, sort of morning, stroke afternoon, so they'll have all the crafting activities using the forest school and then we'll be doing a picnic for them. We've got a summer bug ball which is going to be supported by Tesco and Sonia at Tesco and she's going to be bringing in things for the children to try to eat. We're going to model it on the hungry caterpillar book so as the caterpillar eats its fruits, we'll be putting that out for the children to try. Again.

Lesley:

Crafting activities and lunch we're going to do a. What can you make with a box? So lots of cardboard boxes, loads of crafting things. Let's see what we can make a castle, a den, a car, again with a lunch, and then we're going to have a fruit picking um afternoon so they can pick the fruits and then we'll turn into jams and chutneys. That's happening over the summer holidays. Yeah, you right. Yeah, you've been planning, I've been planning, yeah, oh that's good, so tell us more about the.

Mark:

So who runs the How's the community Big Garden Project. I mean, is it a community group? Is it a?

Lesley:

It's run by volunteers. Yeah, we have the lovely Charmaine that's here on a Thursday and a Friday, so on a Thursday it's, anybody can turn up volunteer because, as you can see, it's a massive site. It always needs something doing. There's always something to clear out of the way, sort out plants grow, and it's open on a friday for the garden center because a lot of our plants we've grown from plugs and plug plants. They're really healthy, so any money we make then comes back in to here to provide the activities that we do for the children or for the grown-ups. And we have forest school on a Monday where some children that can't access education the same come. And we have Forest School on a Sunday with Manchester Bees Forest School and we're in negotiations with a new school that's being built at the moment. They want to use our site as well. Yeah, so we've got a lot going on. We've had the Ark of Hope here this week. They're doing the Brett Eakin tie-dye sessions here because it is a big area, you know we can use it for different things.

Mark:

So what are the main goals and objectives of the community garden, would you say?

Lesley:

I would say the main goals are to bring the community together, everybody to work together to make it a more sustainable place. Obviously, I grow our own fruit and vegetables and the aim for next year is to be able to offer that out then to residents. If we can get volunteers in growing, then we can get things grown like tomatoes and the polytunnel grow for fun, and squashes, courgettes, things like that. Then we can then say to the community right, do you want to come and get some? Right, yeah, we work with Healthy Hide. They come, and the community health champions, because Grenville made us some chutneys with the squashes that we gave him and the gooseberries. They made all the jams and everything for us, and we have our own beehives, so we've got our own honey. So it's just working with all the other um people on the estate, yeah, and obviously on the surrounding areas, just to make it a better place to be for everybody no, that's great, I can see it.

Mark:

Anyway, people are bobbing around and coming in. I really wish you the best luck in achieving them. I hope we've got someone, hello.

Lesley:

That's Tatiana, one of our lovely volunteers who waters everything for me on a Saturday.

Mark:

How do you think it has impacted on the local community? Do you see it?

Lesley:

Yes.

Mark:

When I come to see before there was a lady talking about a daughter, um, and it was just nice to to see that there was that kind of social interaction.

Lesley:

We try really hard. What the um? The slogan we have for the elderboys cafe is um, a coffee, a cake and a friendly face. You don don't have to pay anything, you just come in. Somebody will sit and chat with you. If you want to chat, come and help us in the garden. If you want to do that, it's easy. Some people just want to come have a coffee, sit down somewhere different.

Lesley:

In a few weeks it will be amazing in here and we've found over the last year we did Halloween and we had 40 families came, so they did all the crafts. They all got fed. Christmas we did and we had 60 families, um, and again they had the crafts. Dunelm gave us bags of joy, so they all got a toy. Alistair gave us selection boxes and then they came in here and we fed all the children, and then the same again at Easter. And every session we've had on like that it's grown. More people are coming because I think more people know it's here now. So and, and that has a massive impact, I had a gentleman message saying I've got three boys, it's cost me nine pound for a full day of activities and they've all gone home with two toys and they've been fed. You know he said I've got. He said I've got tears of joy. You know he said money's tight.

Mark:

You know it has a massive impact yeah, well, I can see, you could see that anyway, um, when I was walking around. So what kind of plants and stuff have you managed?

Lesley:

I mean, you know he was just talking. Yeah, we um. What we started to do this year is to buy um tiny plug plants because obviously we've got the polytunnel so we can grow them on ourselves. Um, so obviously we buy them at cost, obviously, from a wholesaler, um, and then we can sell them on here, and we don't. We haven't got garden center prices because we haven't got garden center overheads, and everything we've got is really healthy and the money we make there then comes back in to fund things like the furniture that will go into this cafe when it's opened and the activities you know all the crafting activities we've got on for the children. Everything we make comes straight back into here and is used in a really productive way.

Mark:

There's not a penny wasted so, if you're listening, residents of Hattersley, Mottram, Longdendale or anywhere around the Hyde area, pop down to Hattersley Community Garden on a Saturday. Someone will be there and have a mooch. Anything you spend will go back into help growing this amazing community project. So what the? I mean you've got this building here that we're in. This is going to be the cafe is it?

Rob Page:

Yeah, yeah. So what else is there? You've got this building here that we're in.

Mark:

This is going to be the cafe, is it? Yeah, yeah so what? Else is there. You've got the polytunnels, we've got the polytunnels, and that's a nice garden area really over there.

Lesley:

Yeah, you sit there and have a relax in the garden. We've got a wildflower bed, we've got a forest school down at the end, we've got our composting areas in our bees, and then we've got our raised beds outside um, which some of the schools use as well, coming coming in right.

Mark:

So how can local residents get involved with the project? So you're looking for volunteers desperately look for volunteers.

Lesley:

It's such a big site for so many you know it takes a lot of looking after and obviously, um, the directors all work full-time so it's a. It's a job after work. We're down here streaming and trying to keep on top of it because it's a really big place. So any volunteers on a Thursday, come and see Charmaine. Just come and see us Thursday, friday or Saturday. We're open for you to come for an hour, do a bit of potting up, sweeping up anything. We're happy.

Mark:

So it's funny, you should say Charmaine. I thought Charmaine was going to be here, but she's done a no-show on us.

Lesley:

Charmaine's got very well, Thanks.

Mark:

Charmaine, thanks to Charmaine for setting this up. Actually, I mean, you spoke about some of the challenges you face, but what are the main challenges? Maintaining and growing the community.

Lesley:

Yeah, the main challenge is maintaining the site and having the funding to do that. Like I said, everything we make goes back into it. For the children, for the Elderberries Cafe, obviously. Just you know the general running costs, the insurance, the rent, everything that we pay every month. It's looking for funding. If there's any big funders out there, come and have a word with us, because we need it to continue. You know we've worked miracles in the last 16 months and we want that to continue.

Mark:

So do you have a crowdfunder or anything like that?

Lesley:

We don't have a crowdfunder.

Mark:

no, oh, that's a pity, because we could have done that, but if there's anyone out there who wants to support, this amazing project. In any way, in look into our the podcast description and we'll give you all the details. In fact, do you have any social media?

Lesley:

we do. Yes, we're on facebook and we've got two different accounts, so if if people look on yours, I can give you our facebook um details, right, yeah?

Mark:

we'll put it in the podcast description and you just scroll down and there'll be a link there.

Lesley:

Listener I usually try and put on the plants we've got in so people can see them. I haven't done today, obviously, because I've been here, but all right, so you keep busy on it, yeah yeah, we've got. Um, I think we've got about three and a half thousand followers on it. So yeah, hattersley projects community group is one of our facebook pages and the other one is hattersley Projects.

Mark:

Right, are you on Instagram?

Lesley:

We're on Instagram as well, yes, but I think we tend to get most of it through the Facebook pages. Are you on TikTok? No, come on, I'm old, I could just about do Facebook Right.

Mark:

It's funny because we've got a podcast with PC Reef who have been giving training on people to try and close the digital divide. This might be something they might be interested in.

Lesley:

Yeah.

Mark:

In bringing someone you know. I think they're training people up to provide digital skills.

Lesley:

When this is finished, we'll be able to offer it to different people. Right Before, it was so badly built that the roof was just leaking everywhere. It wasn't fit for purpose. So when it's done properly, I think there's. You know, the things we can do are unlimited, aren't they really?

Mark:

It's a fantastic place and I've got to say if you're going to have a proper cafe here, then are you going to?

Lesley:

open it. It will be open on a Saturday because obviously it's run by volunteers and it's just like coffees and cakes and things like that. It's just going to be a nice social space for people to come to. It's got a really nice feel to it as well, you know, just to come and sit and have a chill, you know, get a few plants, what we able to come by a few plants and then come and sit in here have a chat, which is really nice.

Mark:

I can see the, the vision, the. The seeds have been planted. The seeds have been planted and it's growing. I can actually see that listeners, you might be out here the the aircraft flying overhead.

Lesley:

I'm not much of a plane spotter, but don't be alarmed unfortunately we're not on the flight path, though for funding, we're just outside of it. Correct, be out of it by about three inches, I think so you've got quite a lot of upcoming events coming on we have I mean when people listen to this.

Mark:

Some of the events may may have passed, but you can get a good idea of what the kind of thing yeah, and if they follow our facebook page, we're going to put them on there.

Lesley:

In september we do um a macmillan cake sale. We did that last year. We made lots of hanging baskets and we sold those, and and we and we think it was six pound and a pound of it went to macmillan we had a cake sale and we we got over 200 pound on the on saturday morning. So you know, we try and help others as well as helping ourselves.

Mark:

So do you have any partnerships or collaborations with other schools and other organisations? Well, Onward are very good to us. I know you've already said Healthy Hide.

Lesley:

Yeah, healthy Hide they come. Three of us that are here now are all teachers at Pinfold, so it's nice to see the children from school coming.

Mark:

Yeah.

Lesley:

It's really nice and it's nice for them to see us in a different, you know form, so to speak. We want to get more community groups involved and more schools involved coming down to see us. Like I said, we are in negotiations with a school that's being built at the moment for them to come and use a forest school.

Mark:

Right, that would be fantastic.

Lesley:

So yeah, and that's what we want to develop. We're in and this obviously might not be happening when this goes out, but we're in Tesco's Stronger Starts at the moment at Tesco. So get your blue tokens in.

Mark:

Right, yeah, so get your blue tokens in. For Hattersley Community a big garden project, yeah. Yeah, big garden project yeah, yeah you mentioned onward, so you get a lot of support from onward sam's. Very good from onward award-winning sam powers. Apparently I don't know what awards she's won, I think she's made it up herself anyway. Only joking sam yeah, don't mean that, sam so what are your future dreams for the house?

Lesley:

it's just to keep it growing. Get this finished off here, so we've got a really function space that we can then offer out to different things in the community. You know it can be open longer. You know we get the volunteers in, we can open it out to different people to come in. Get the polytunnels covered.

Lesley:

That that's our next big expense because, as you can see, they're ripping and they're leaking. So get the polytunnels covered again. Keep the site, keep the maintenance of the site. So the big money needs to come into the cafe now to get this done, finished off. Then start on the polytunnels and then I think it'll look different again then. Yeah, so if anybody out there can cut down any willow trees, we'd be very grateful, because they're a bit too big for us to manage now. Right, yeah, you see that it's a willow arch and it's a fantastic arch, but it's grown above the polytunnel and we need to cut it down before we can put new plastic on, because there's no point in putting plastic on if that's there, because it'll just rip through it again.

Mark:

Is there any other needs and things that you might need Anything else, donations or anything like that?

Lesley:

We're good for donations. We have some really nice community members. Like I said, tesco have been fab this year, and so have Asda in Hyde, if we need anything, and also Paula from the One Stop. She came up at Easter and then has been up again to sort of see us and has said anything you need let me know, which is great because they're all on the community, so it's just sort of bringing it all together.

Mark:

Yeah.

Lesley:

But yeah, it's just funding we need now to get money to get jobs done.

Mark:

Because I can imagine it costs a lot of money to do a polytoner About £4,000. Wow. So if there's any polytonal companies, you want to come and do it for free. Yeah, anything like that. If anyone wants to email or get in touch with you, do you know your email address? Or anything like that.

Lesley:

It is admin at hattersleyprojectsorg.

Mark:

Well, listen, Lesley, thanks for having me in today.

Lesley:

You're very welcome today come again in three weeks and see how different it looks.

Mark:

I will do, I think that would be a good idea and maybe we could do a podcast from one of your events yeah, thanks, lesley, for coming in. You're very welcome, nice to see you if you're a community group or are you working Hattersley and you might have a story to tell. Get in touch with Hats, chats and Giggles podcast. Thank you, you, you, you.

People on this episode

Contributor

Mark T

Host
Contributor

Lesley Henthorn

Guest