Mark Roe from the Allensway Centre, centre user Norman McGuiness, Rob Sharp from Stockton Riverside College and Anna Stone, Facilities Co-ordinator at Wynyard Park.
The site on Wynyard Park has been given rent-free to the Allensway Centre in Thornaby which is run by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
This follows an appeal earlier this year by Wynyard Park Ltd, the owners of the 700-acre business park, for an organisation to get involved in running the plot behind its Wynyard Park House HQ as a market garden turning out healthy, home-grown produce.
Mark Roe from the Allensway Centre said: “We are delighted to have been given this opportunity and we would like to thank Wynyard Park Ltd for their fantastic support.
“People attending our centre have different levels of disability. For some, the garden will provide a therapeutic area that they can simply visit and enjoy. For others, there will be opportunities to get involved in growing produce, developing new skills and confidence in the process.”
He also issued an appeal to local companies to support the project by donating materials such as gravel, flagstones or even a shed. He can be contacted on (01642) 527892.
Wynyard Park Ltd funded the initial clearance of the site and students from Stockton Riverside College’s Prince’s Trust training programme have been helping to prepare the land for cultivation, including creating raised vegetable beds accessible by people in wheelchairs.
Rob Sharp from the college said: “The Prince’s Trust training programme is all about preparing students for work and as part of their course they have to do a four-week community project. When we heard about the garden we thought it was an ideal opportunity. Our students have been able to develop a range of work-related skills, whilst also helping others along the way.”
Anna Stone, Facilities Co-ordinator at Wynyard Park, added: “We are delighted to have been able to provide the Allensway Centre with this opportunity, and the students from Stockton Riverside College have done a tremendous job. It is good to see a piece of land that was standing idle being put to such a good use.”
Some of the fruit and vegetables produced in the garden will be used in dishes served at Wynyard Park’s popular in-house Java Café bistro which is based in Wynyard Park House.
There are also plans to further develop the garden in the future, including the creation of a sensory herb garden.