Moat staff brighten Colebrook Road garden

Published by DeanW for Moat Homes Ltd in Communities and also in Housing

On Wednesday 1 June 2011, Moat staff spent the day at the organisation’s Colebrook Road homeless hostel in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. They worked together to build flower beds and a vegetable garden in order to provide an outside area that residents could enjoy. 

Colebrook Road’s garden had previously been entirely paved and not much of an outside space in which the hostel’s residents could relax. One of Moat’s property surveyor’s visited in 2010 on a standard inspection, and decided that the garden needed brightening up. He determined to make it a community challenge project for him and his fellow surveyors. 

Once given the go-ahead, the team raised sponsorship from local businesses including Wealden Services, Maulyte Limited, Coolings Nursery, Travis Perkins, Hozelock and Mears in order to develop three raised flower beds and a large vegetable planting area. The team constructed the oak raised beds, lined them, filled them with soil and planted the flowers and vegetables. They also  installed a watering system to ensure that residents were able to continue caring for the flowers and growing their own vegetables.

At 3.30pm the job was finally complete and Moat’s Executive Director: Housing and Customer Services, Hugh Fenn, officially opened the newly refurbished garden. 

Hugh says; “Moat staff are committed to become more involved in Moat communities and all take part in at least one community day every year. So far, projects have included clearing a resident’s neglected garden, painting a community facility and planting new flowers to brighten sheltered housing schemes. While all commendable, to the best of my knowledge this is the first community day where something has been created out of nothing. It was really rewarding to be part of today and I look forward to hearing about the difference this garden makes to Colebrook Road’s future residents.”