Youngsters in Stowmarket have made a difference to their community by transforming the garden area of a social care organisation in the town.
As part of Inspire Suffolk’s team programme 12-week course, the young people planned a project of their choice to benefit their community, and chose Leading Lives – who are based in Crown Street.
Leading Lives, which is a social enterprise co-owned by staff as an employee co-operative, provides social care support for people across Suffolk and beyond in the home and in the community.
The young people cleared and weeded the overgrown garden at the Stowmarket community hub as well as painting the benches in the area and planting new greenery.
Inspire Suffolk received funding towards their community project from Stowmarket Town Council, and town mayor Dave Muller attended the refurbished garden this week to officially open the new space.
Mr Muller said: “My wife Lois and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the young people who had put so much effort into making the garden an attractive place to relax which will benefit all users of the hub.
“The young people should be praised for their hard work and enthusiasm in completing this very worthwhile project.
“I would also like to thank Inspire Suffolk for inviting us both to the opening of the garden.”
Inspire Suffolk is a charity which supports young people onto a positive future. They run team programme for 16-25 year olds in six locations across Suffolk and North Essex including Stowmarket.
Team programme, which is free to take part and run in partnership with the Prince’s Trust, offers support to young people who are not in education or employment, helping them to improve their confidence and move onto new opportunities.
The group will finish their programme this week and graduate with their Prince’s Trust Level 1 qualification in Employment, Teamwork and Community Skills at a celebration presentation.
Jodie, a member of the group, said: “It was so nice to work alongside the centre’s users on the project and we feel very proud and happy that they now have a place to relax and do activities, including gardening.”
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