Gardening project set to bloom
Benefits for community
People who attend Stirling’s Riverbank Centre are being given the chance to showcase their gardening skills.
Following a three-year agreement with Riverside Community Council, service users at the centre will have the task of maintaining the housing estate’s eight flower tubs.
Riverside community councillors, at their meeting last Wednesday, agreed to contribute £250 a year towards the cost of the scheme as part of their ‘engaging with the community’ agenda.
At the moment the tubs are looked after by volunteers.
The Riverbank Centre, which provides day support for people with learning difficulties, has been developing its own garden area.
Within the grounds of the Stirling Council facility in James Street, groups from the Riverbank Centre and Streets Ahead – another project to support adults with learning disabilities – have been planting fruit, vegetables and herbs in raised beds there. Some of the produce is to be used in the centre’s kitchens.
Riverbank caretaker Iain Gibson, who helps the groups with their horticultural activities, said they want to share their skills and interest in gardening with the community.
“I think we can help each other,” he told community councillors. “It will give our service users a job and a project to look after the tubs, involve them with the community and brighten up the area.
“We can replenish the tubs with fresh compost, take out bulbs and store them, remove weeds, put in some nice annual plants and water them if necessary.”
Community councillor Isabella Gorska welcomed the approach from the Riverbank and said it “ticked quite a number of boxes”.
“Your clients will get a sense of pride and take ownership of this job,” she added.
Following the meeting Riverbank team leader Heather Fleming said: “This is an exciting new opportunity for those we support and as many locals will know we have been developing our garden over the years. Moving on to this new phase of community gardening will create more opportunities for more people”
Mr Gibson said there were also plans to complete work on a poly tunnel, to be erected within the grounds of the Riverbank Centre, to further develop the gardening facilities there.
It will enable service users to grow more plants from seed, increase ability to grow all year round and tackle the cultivation of more challenging flowers or vegetables.
The polytunnel will be wheelchair accessible like the rest of the purpose-built Riverbank Centre and provide an all-weather space for the keen gardeners to enjoy their work into the winter months.
“As a local resident I am thrilled for the centre to have good ties with the community council,” he added. “This is an opportunity for us to become even more involved in the Riverside