Projects
We currently have two major projects running:
The Garden Contract Project
The Garden Contract Project, renamed so it is not confused with the new Community Conservation Project, was set up in August 1999. Since then it has become a very important part of Earthworks and a great success with both volunteers and trainees.
The main aim of the project is to allow the trainees and volunteers from our three-acre site on Hixberry Lane to gain important work experience in a real work setting. Each day of the week a team of five people go out to a garden that needs a little T.L.C. These are mostly private gardens but some are school grounds and in residential homes. The jobs we carry out range from mowing lawns to trimming hedges, weeding flowers beds to planting new ones and general tidying of overgrown gardens.
The reason this project is so important to our volunteers and trainees is that it allows them to really put the skills they've learnt at Hixberry Lane to the test. Each person spends at least a few days on-site learning how to use the mower, hedge cutter and strimmer. They learn basic gardening skills such as planting and weeding before they join the team. Once they are part of the team these skills are fine-tuned and new ones developed. It gives each individual the self-confidence and discipline to work towards gaining employment, the original and main aim of the project.
Since the project began it has been funded by The Community Fund, which is part of The National Lottery, to whom we are very grateful to for their long-standing support. This comes to an end next summer. We applied to The Henry Smith Charity for help to continue this unique and important project and have received a substantial grant towards costs with which we are very pleased. Thanks Henry Smith!
We also use the money made from the work we carry out to pay towards vehicle and machinery costs, volunteer expenses and staff costs.
The diary for 2006 is already underway and filling up very quickly. We now have a long list of regular customers and continually receive calls for one-off jobs such as re-designing a front garden and laying turf as the pictures below show:
You don't have to be a trainee or volunteer at Earthworks to become a valued member of the team. Anyone who would like the opportunity to get involved and give something back to their local community can volunteer their time. In return we guarantee a chance to learn new skills, meet new people and that great feeling you only get from working outdoors.
So, if you are interested in getting involved or have a garden that you think our team could work their magic on, phone Phil on 01727 847311 or email him at philip@earthworksstalbans.co.uk.
If you are thinking of having your garden done and can't decide on a contractor, here are some reasons why you should choose us:
- we use only organic, natural gardening methods, for example, we weed instead of spraying.
- we never use harmful chemicals.
- we buy our timber from renewable sources.
- we act responsibly by recycling garden waste through composting and burning logs in our wood burning stoves in the winter and only burn branches when necessary.
- we minimise the impact of our machinery by using biodegradable oil.
- you will be helping to breakdown social prejudice towards people with learning difficulties and mental health problems.
- you will be helping people acquire real work experience to help them gain employment.
- all payments to us go straight back into helping run the project; there is no profit made.
- we are reliable and regular.
- there is never a dull moment with The Garden Contract Team!
The Contract Work
Here is a list of just some of the work we have had the chance to get involved in:
- Dismantling old sheds
- Driveway extension
- Mini-woodland creation
- Garden clearance
- Hedge cutting
- Tree and shrub pruning
- Weeding, edging and mulching
- Mowing
- Pathway creation
- Putting up trellis
- Complete garden redesign
- Garden maintenance
- Woodland management
- Pond building
- Tree and shrub planting
- Grass seed sowing
- Fruit tree pruning
The Community Conservation Project
The other day a volunteer at Earthworks asked me ‘which job has been the most interesting' (since the Community Conservation Project began in February this year)? I couldn't answer them. We have done so many exciting projects that I honestly couldn't say. Probably my favourite part of the job has been getting to know and working with some of the most interesting people I have ever met. ‘My young people', as they are sometimes called, are so full of life and make my job incredibly interesting. They have been great fun to work with and have achieved so many great things.
Jonathan Stratton, who has already moved onto bigger and better things, said that his favourite job was creating the paths at Monks Walk School in Welwyn Garden City and Cunningham Hill Infants School in St Albans. This involves sinking logs lengthways into the edge of the paths and filling with bark chippings. We've created around 200 metres of paths this way! Jonathan has been a star to work with and we will all miss him loads but wish him well with his job at Morrissons and his studies at college.
For those of you that don't know much about this project, it is aimed at young people aged 12-25 who want to gain work experience in conservation work. Some have learning difficulties, mental health problems or are having trouble getting into employment. On the project they learn new skills while increasing their confidence and chances of employment. It gives the young people the chance to see what real employment would be like. We are also supporting groups of young people. One of our regular groups is Watling View School who attend on Wednesdays. We also had fun with a group of 60 (!) children from Cunningham Hill Infants School in the summer. We made bird feeders, bug boxes, ladybird keyrings and played games on-site. It was a great day!
One of the more challenging, but hugely rewarding jobs has been at Hatfield House. We were asked to clear a large area around a lake. We chopped down invasive trees such as willow and cut out rhododendron shrubs that cover the ground.
Steve Pike, one of our University students, took over the project for a month whilst I trained our new Garden Contracts Coordinator, Phil Maitland (see Contract Work). Steve had the challenging task of creating raised beds at St Teresa's School in Borehamwood and Aboyne Lodge Primary School in St Albans. With the help of Andrew Simpkins, our Site Development Coordinator, they created some beautiful beds that make growing vegetables easy. The team on-site also made 3 fantastic compost bins for Aboyne Lodge so they are all set up to start growing their own dinners. Jamie Oliver will be pleased!
And for the future we're looking forward to pruning the overgrown apple trees at Aboyne Lodge School, creating a wildlife garden at Fleetville School in St Albans, carrying out hazel coppicing at The University of Hertfordshires' Bayfordbury site and sowing tree seeds at Three Valleys Water, Bushey (to mention a few!).
Much of our work wouldn't have been possible without the kind donations of endless van loads of logs and mulch from local tree surgeons JW Salmon Tree Specialists, Robinsons Tree Service and Ross Parker of Oakapple Landscapes.
The Community Conservation Project is kindly funded by Esmee Fairbain Foundation and The Young Peoples Fund.
Louise Neicho
Deputy Project Leader
If the Community Conservation Project interests you, there are three ways you can get involved:
- become a key volunteer and work with us
- refer young people to us that you think will benefit from the project
- let us know about a wildlife area in need of conservation.
Please contact Louise on 01727 847 311 or 07739 277717 or by email louise@earthworksstalbans.co.uk.
We look forward to your comments and suggestions.