GREEN-FINGERED residents have been sowing seeds at a community garden to help boost confidence and work skills in Kingshurst.
The project has been set up by Solihull College and University Centre and funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority to deliver programmes in specific areas of high deprivation.
Community adult education lecturer, Kellie Homer, runs the project.
She said: “This is having a real impact on the students, many of whom have never been interested in gardening before.
“It’s about more than gardening, its created opportunities to meet local neighbours and contribute to community life. It showcases how gardening can bring people together.”
The sessions run once a week but many of the group also gather at weekends to make the most of their time planting and sowing seeds.
Kellie said: “They come to help with sowing, share a cup of tea, and spend time together.
“That kind of community spirit can’t be manufactured. It grows naturally when people feel connected to something meaningful.
“For many residents in Kingshurst, life can often feel quiet or lonely. The garden club changes that. There’s always conversation, laughter, and a kettle boiling somewhere in the background, it’s a great advocate of how gardening can help mental well-being.”
Many of the people attending have faced significant mental health challenges and periods of isolation.
Resident, Ronald Seabright, said: “I’m really enjoying Tuesday afternoons at the garden club, it helps so much.
“I have ASD and it helps me to get out of the house for a couple of hours and do a bit of gardening activities, also meeting others and having a chat about garden and life in general.”
The group will be attending Gardener’s World Live to gather inspiration, with plans to showcase their work next year.
After the success of Kingshurst there are now gardening projects at Auckland Hall and the Fordbridge Centre.
