Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Modern day Robin Hood helping out the less fortunate
Gardener inspired by his own troubled past ‘I work on council estates but also in country mansions’
A gardener describing himself as a modern day Robin Hood is helping to transform the lives of those less fortunate.
Joe Baker has set up a community project to revamp the gardens of deprived families and disabled people and spaces used by the homeless.
The father of five, who once lived on the streets himself after becoming an orphan, is also recruiting people to help him who would typically struggle to get a job.
“I work on council estates but also in country mansions,” he said.
“The concept is I’m a modern day Robin Hood.
“I work for the rich and charge them the going rate – well, actually it’s a little bit less – and give to the poor by offering our services for a lot cheaper or for free.”
The 33-year-old, who lived in Canterbury for 15 years and runs his services in the area, says he was motivated to set up the Swale Community Project due to the traumatic events in his own life, which left him homeless when he was younger.
“I lost my dad when I was six, my mum when I was 14 and my step-dad when I was 19,” he said.
“I grew up on a council estate which was like a gangsters’ paradise.
“I was a bit of a wide boy, I was into drugs – I couldn’t have got a job, but one person gave me a chance. I then went to college to study gardening and started my education all over again. I want to do the same for people in that same position.
“I want to give people like exdrug users, kids with disabilities and homeless people the chance to work.”
Most recently, Mr Baker and his team transformed the garden of homeless shelter Catching Lives in Canterbury.
“We fought the ‘jungle’ – the grass was 4ft high,” he said.
“In the future I’d like to go back and make a herb garden and an area to grow vegetables so they can grow their own food.”
Mr Baker, who used to give food out to homeless people in Canterbury, has funded the business himself so far, starting out with just a second-hand lawn mower and rake.
He is about to become a Community Interest Company – covering Canterbury, Swale and Medway – so he can apply for funding.