Head to Chantry Walled Garden on Thursday 7 March for the ActivGardens Spring Plant Sale, join us between 10am-2pm.
Take a look around enjoy this lovely site, the hidden gem of Chantry Park and take the opportunity to buy a few plants for your garden at knock-down prices. Whilst you’re visiting why not enjoy a cuppa and a slice of homemade cake and have a chat with our fantastic volunteers too.
And with Mother’s Day just around the corner we’ll have pots of bulbs and floral displays for Mother’s Day also available!
Parking is available at the Sue Ryder Car Park. For disabled parking please call ahead, contact Ian on 07599 951060.
The full address for for your Sat Nav is: Chantry Walled Garden, Chantry Park, Hadleigh Road, Ipswich, IP2 0BS
If you are looking for a new activity to give yourself a boost in the new year, how about joining a course at ActivGardens?
We have two free courses starting in February for people aged 16+:
• Gardening In Mind – a FREE 12-week course supporting your mental wellbeing. Find out more HERE – funded by Henry Smith Charity.
• Grow Your Future – a FREE 12-week course, helping you gain skills and confidence for further learning, training, volunteering or employment. Find out more HERE – funded by Equity In Mind – a partnership between NSFT and Suffolk Community Foundation.
The friendly group sessions will include – gardening and horticulture, growing your own veg, working in a plant nursery, nature conservation and beekeeping (optional), and therapeutic/ creative activities. They aim to promote good physical and mental health, and help you learn practical skills, in a supportive environment where you can meet others.
Please come to one of our Open Days to look around the gardens, meet our team and find out more over a cuppa: • Gardening In Mind – Monday 15th January 10am to 2pm at the People’s Community Garden • Grow Your Future – Wednesday 17th January 10am to 2pm at the People’s Community Garden on Maidenhall Allotments IP2 8RE and Tuesday 16th January 10am to 2pm at Chantry Walled Garden in Chantry Park IP2 0BS.
Former participants have said:
“It’s helped me realise this is the sort of work I want to be in. It’s increased my knowledge base and my confidence in what I know. It’s what I look forward to in the week. It’s given me the knowledge to move forward.”
“It’s helped me achieve goals set out before starting the project. It’s helped me have structure in my week. It’s helped my confidence grow from week to week with each new horticulture skill.”
“I’ve got more self-esteem and confidence. I’ve met more people down here – I don’t feel so isolated.”
“This project has helped me – I needed somewhere to lose myself. There were too many things going on at once, and my mind was too full. Here, you can step out of the rat race and into a carefree area. It lifts a weight from your mind. You are surrounded by nature and it makes you feel better in lots of ways – the joy of seeing plants, rebirth. No doubt about it, it lifts you.”
“I have become more active and I am putting something back into the local community, and contributing my own skills. Having retired, I need something to fill my day. I need to do things that make me feel happy and proud.”
“It helped build up confidence in a working environment. I have become more assertive in conversation. It’s helped me become less stressed.”
To register your place or to find out more, please contact programme manager Susannah Robirosa on 07530 407302 on 01473 345350 or email susannah@activlives.org.uk or visit our website: www.activlives.org.uk/activgardens
ActivGardens volunteers and trainees have been planting bulbs kindly donated by Thompson & Morgan.
The bulbs have been made into displays and planted in our borders and are already putting up green shoots.
Come the Spring, the daffs, tulips, hyacinth and Allium will be putting a smile on everyone’s face as they bloom in vibrant colours.
The local company, just across the park from one of our sites, has also donated a huge box of seeds packed with veg and flowers.
Our volunteers and staff were so pleased – it really gave us all a boost!
Pots of bulbs are available for Mother’s Day on Saturday 13th March 2021 from Chantry Walled Garden. Please email susannah@activlives.org or call Tuesdays and Thursdays on 07530 407302 if you would like to order in advance.
If you are looking for a new direction – how about taking part in a FREE outdoor-based learning programme at ActivGardens? ‘Grow Your Future’ will enable you to learn new skills and gain confidence on your way to further opportunities.
Sign up NOW to attend the induction day on Monday 23rd November 2020
The 12-week programme on Mondays/Fridays will include garden maintenance, horticulture and environmental conservation, with a chance to get involved in specialist activities such as woodworking or bee-keeping at The People’s Community Garden, Halifax Rd, Ipswich, IP2 8RE. Grow Your Future is for anyone aged 16+ who is unemployed or economically inactive, and encourages people who face barriers to work – such as a disability, health condition, or caring responsibilities. To find out more, or register your interest, please contact Susannah Robirosa on 07530 407302 or email susannah@activlives.org.uk. You can also contact ActivLives on 01473 345350 This project is funded by the European Social Fund and administered by LIFT Community Grants ‘Local Investment in Learning Paths to Work’.
Some of our ActivSingers got together at The People’s Community Garden last week to enjoy a socially distanced sing-along in the beautiful setting of our garden!
We ensured all of our members stuck to the current government socially distance rules for the whole session, but that didn’t stop the fun as members stood up at their chairs and had a boogie while singing some of their favourite tunes – see them singing and dancing to ‘Jambo Bwana’ among some beautiful plants in the video below:
We’re hoping to start up some of our sessions soon, starting with existing members. If you’re one of our members who regularly attend our sessions, we’ll be in touch soon!
