Read how your support helped to fund a community project at Mytholm Court

As a social enterprise, all profits generated from The Compliance People are donated to our parent charity, Newground Together. Read below how your support has helped residents at Mytholm Court.

At the beginning of 2021, Newground Together awarded Rooting and Fruiting CIC a £5,000 grant towards a project to increase the health and wellbeing of residents at Together Housing’s Mytholm Court, a supported housing scheme, and for the benefit of the wider community of Hebden Bridge in Calderdale.

As part of the project Rooting and Fruiting CIC worked with residents of Mytholm Court and separately with children from Hebden Royd Primary School. The pandemic meant that the children and older residents couldn’t meet but they still creatively exchanged ideas using innovative methods which led to the development and design of an existing garden at Mytholm Court.

Additional match funding was secured from Hebden Royd Town Council. Learning through Landscapes, a national charity, provided free support in developing the intergenerational co-design activities. Rooting and Fruiting CIC also worked closely with Live Wild, a local nature connection specialist community organisation.

The project has been able to meet residents’ needs – new seating and colourful plants and flowers have been introduced, the kitchen garden has flourished. Since the lifting of restrictions, there has been ‘drop in’ open gardening sessions and an increase in residents socialising and enjoying the improved space.

Nature connection activities, questionnaires, discussions, and physical activities have all contributed positively on the residents of the Mytholm Court community.

Project Director, Beth Morgan from Rooting and Fruiting CIC said, “We feel really lucky to receive this grant we know that older groups benefit from interacting with children, this helps to decrease feelings of social isolation, loneliness and health related problems. Children benefit from the wisdom, history and ideas the older people provide”

Regular sessions at the school focussed on connection, positive wellbeing, mindfulness and designing new activities to share. The children were able to produce nature based ‘art and crafts’ that were placed on a notice board at Mytholm Court for ongoing collaboration, and they also produced bunting for the residents’ garden.

Staff have received training to help maintain the garden and look at ways to support residents to get involved in ongoing gardening activities and maintenance.

Linsay Severn, Together Housing Group Community Wellbeing Officer said, “After a challenging start due to Covid, I’m hopeful for the future sustainability of the project beyond Newground Together funding. Residents want to be outside socialising and this way they can. We know horticulture related activities improve mental wellbeing and after the last 18 months, anything that can help residents feel socially connected is extremely beneficial”

The project, due to end in January 2022, will go on to introduce 1-2-1 horticultural therapy sessions and a social club, and will continue to work on the development of a nature connection app. Rooting and Fruiting have been awarded an additional £1000 from Leeds University to continue working with residents to further develop the garden and create spring growing sessions so that residents can bring elements of the garden into their homes.