Axis Volunteers Help Revive Beechwood Community Garden

On Saturday 24th September a group of Axis volunteers in collaboration with Swan, put their gardening skills to the test. Together they helped revive Beechwood Community Garden.

Our longstanding client Swan initially invited us to visit the community garden earlier this summer. We consequently decided to get involved in the transformation project. Situated in Beechwood Village, Basildon the garden had become neglected throughout the pandemic and was overgrown with weeds and shrubs.

To help revive the space, Swan decided to partner with Backyard Nature, a conservation campaign backed by the Duchess of Cambridge. They gives children the tools they need to protect their own patch of nature. To get the space ready, the Axis team joined a group of Swan volunteers to clear the garden and create a space for residents to enjoy, socialise and nurture.

The event was a great opportunity to bring the local community together. Community providers were on hand to signpost residents to activities at The Beech Community Hub. The event even had a steel band that happily played away whilst the volunteers were hard at work!
Commenting on the experience Scott said,

The event was a positive one. It was good to see the community come together to help make a difference, especially following the difficult times we have had in recent months. It was very rewarding to see how the garden was beforehand, then to see the difference after the hard work everyone put in on the day.

Jo added, I really enjoyed the day. It was great to see so many of the estate’s children come out, get stuck in, and really make a difference. It was hard work, but everyone stepped up and I think we achieved what we set out to do. A great partnership with Axis and Swan, and the local community.

Summarising the day Darren said It was a pleasure to be involved with this project, the transformation in one day was beyond anyone’s expectations. I would like to say thank you to those who came from Axis for their hard work in helping get this project well and truly off the ground. There certainly were a few aches and pains the following day!

Now that the garden has been cleared it will allow resident’s the opportunity to take some ownership of the area where they live, instilling pride and opportunities to build on social relationships using the power of nature.

Swan Housing Association joined Sanctuary as a subsidiary in February 2024. With Swan as a subsidiary, Sanctuary now manages around 120,000 units of accommodation across England and Scotland.

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