Watch What We Do In The Gardens.

Help Yourself Grow - Gardening

Fair Deal is working very closely with the Hidden Gardens for the gardening activity associated with the Help Yourself Grow experience. On a Monday 11 people are supported to undertake a range of tasks as they work towards the Caledonian Award for horticulture. The diagram shows the variety of the activity and with support all of the participants are making steady progress and having a lot of fun. They are learning new skills, building new relationships, making new friends and they are contributing to the local community.

The Hidden Gardens Help Yourself Grow Gang

Everyone involved in the Help Yourself Grow Experience and working towards their Caledonian Award has enjoyed the experience so far. Meeting every Monday the group has yet to have rain! So Mondays have become much more pleasant and enjoyable with beautiful sunshine being the order of the day every Monday since January. it has been astounding! This picture was recently taken as part of the publicity of the Evening Times as Help Yourself Grow was nominated for a Community Award. While they didn‘t win they were just so excited to have been nominated in the first place and on getting through to the finals!

Great Team Effort

Scott has joined the group of participants and is also working his way towards his Caldeonian Award. Photographs, practical task, questions and answers and video footage are all used as evidence sources for the progress being made. Each person will have their own portfolio of evidence and will be able to demonstrate their achievements. This is an exciting opportunity which the participants are thoroughly enjoying. To date the weather has been fantastic each Monday and it all adds to a very positive experience.
As well as the work at the Hidden Gardens some of the chaps involved have worked with the Castlemilk Youth Complex to clean up and make use of the raised boxes at the back of the complex that had become derelict. There is now some lovely vegetables and plants growing there and the guys have enjoyed each others company with a game of pool and some chit chat in between.
Others are now planning in being involved at Cassiltoun Gardens with Urban Roots

Learning to Mow the Lawn at the Hidden Gardens

Never has the Hidden Gardens experienced anything like it. A day when all of the youngsters involved in the Help Yourself Grow Experience decided they wanted to cut the lawn!! The Whacky races team would have been given a run for their money. The who experience proved you can successfully marry up learning, good fun and keeping within the ethical approach of the Gardens.
The lawn did need a wee bit of corrective action afterwards by lawn expert extraordinaire - George!
A fantastic time was had by all and many thanks to the staff and volunteers at the Hidden Gardens who continue to make this whole experience such a success.

Leanne Shows How It Is Done!

William Takes To The Lawn At Full Speed!

Scott Becomes An Expert!

Castlemilk Youth Complex Raised Beds

The chaps on the Help Yourself Grow Experience - David, Christopher and Scott, worked with Vanessa the Youth Worker to clear away the debris and rubbish from the raised beds and filled them with fresh compost and soil ready to plant a new crop of vegetables and some plants. Together, over 6 weeks for an hour each week they gave their time freely to this task and continue to keep and eye on their produce. The outside area of the youth complex looks significantly better as a result of the work done and people have begun to comment on it.
The group are looking to secure some funding to continue this and continue with the youth work support that made it possible. As a result of this Christopher and Scott have become familiar with the youth complex and the work that goes on in there.

The intention is to harvest the crop when ready and with the youth workers from the compex they will use the produce for cooking some wholesome food. The underlying principle in all of this is about building confidence and about supporting healthy lifestyles. The participants in the Help Yourself Grow Experience are keen to develop and learn new skills that they can use in their every day life and can contribute to the community in positive ways.
If you are in Castlemilk feel free to pop by and look at the work the guys have done. they have done a great job and will continue to do so in coming weeks.