Activities

Community Gardens

Food4Macc were involved with several Community Gardens in and around Macclesfield.

Map of Community Garden projects

View Community Gardens in a larger map

Macclesfield Leisure Centre

(Priory Lane, Macclesfield, SK10 4AF)

	Monday 26 March 2018 Our involvement began when Leonie Wroe, of Cheshire East's Care4CE support for adults with learning disabilities, contacted us about building two wheelchair-friendly raised beds at the Leisure Centre, similar to the ones we had made at Belong on Kennedy Avenue and Prestbury House Care Home. Leonie secured financing from Tesco, and Food4Macc provided the design and labour.
After gloomy weather predictions, the day dawned bright and fine. Shentons delivered 8 tons of soil promptly at 8.30 as promised
We were able to mark out the site and trim back the vegetation while we waited for the timber delivery.	But Travis Perkins kept our volunteers waiting over an hour for the promised early timber delivery, before we could really do anything.
	...... and by 3pm we were all done, ready to handover the beds to Care4ce to start planting! (Apologies to volunteers, Phil Cole, Maggie Earl, and Phil Poyser who missed the final photo!)
Some great teamwork soon had the first bed ready to receive barrow loads of topsoil.............

Prestbury House Care Home

(Located beside the West Park Morrisons Store)

	April 2015. Our involvement began when Michelle Walton of Porthaven's Prestbury House care home contacted us about building a wheelchair-friendly raised bed for residents similar to the one we had made at Belong on Kennedy Avenue.
	With plans made and materials scheduled for delivery, we arrived to find that Michelle had already cleared the ground to receive the bed.
The frame was set out and the first panels applied
	Local Tree Surgeon Joe Wells donated wood chippings to fill the lower level of the bed - reducing the cost of top soil needed. and some tamping followed   When the topsoil was delivered, the scene was set for some serious wheelbarrow driving. With the bed filled, we were ready to hand over to Michelle and the residents to start growing.
	Just a few months later, there was plenty of produce to be shared with the kitchen.

Upton Grange Care Home

(Off Prestbury Road, SK10 4AA)

The first boards were leveled	April 2016. Our involvement began when Samantha Jackson of Upton Grange Care Home contacted us about building two wheelchair-friendly raised beds for residents, similar to the ones we had made at Belong on Kennedy Avenue and Prestbury House, on a little-used are of lawn. Two lorry loads of woodchip were generously donated by local Tree Surgeon and log supplier, Joseph Wells
So began the barrowing of woodchip subsoil, and six tonnes of topsoil, to make two 80cm high raised beds, optimised for wheelchair users and those with bad backs!

Upton Priory School

Contact: Alicia Clare alicia@bluesci.org.uk and mobile 07863 344051

In December 2012, Macclesfield MP David Rutley joined a packed event organised by the Parents Teachers and Friends Association at Upton Priory Primary School to plant a native copse of 61 trees at the school.
The project was supported by the Woodland Trust’s ‘The More Trees, More Good’ campaign, which hopes to make a lasting impact on the UK landscape and is part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations. 
It also teaches children about the benefits of looking after the environment and protecting the forests of tomorrow.

Tree Pruning Workshop 16/11/13. Local tree surgeon, Joseph Wells, led this practical session using the trees in the school's orchard.

Alicia has published a series of monthly newsletters about the use of the school garden.

You can read them here

Creating a Wildlife Garden .

Growing fruit & Vegetables in raised beds outside front entrance.

Exploring and observing nature.

Learning about composting with Kyle and his compost pile.

Tree surgeon Joseph Wells can be contacted on 07900 991174 or joe128@hotmail.co.uk

The Railway Station Approach

We were very happy to have been awarded a grant by the Cheshire Community Foundation for just under £450 to fund a project to plant up and maintain two small plots of land, one on each side of the Station Approach, with fruit trees, bushes and vegetables. This an extremely high profile site and offers a brilliant opportunity to advertise Food4Macc in the heart of the town.

This work had the support of Cheshire East (Diane Smith, Town Centre Manager) and Val Lloyd of the Macclesfield Guild who do a fantastic job in planting and maintaining green areas around the town.

The first working party was held on Sunday 21st April to clear the site removing the dwarf conifers that had been planted there and enriching the soil with horse manure and blood, fish and bone.

Very many thanks to all twelve who turned up today to help clear Station Approach ground. It was a harder job than expected so it was really great to have so many people to help.

Last Sunday May19th they returned to plant apple and fruiting cherry trees, and various fruit bushes including blackcurrant, redcurrant and gooseberry plus a number of varieties of beans which will climb up trellises on the brick pillars. The fruit and vegetable plants will be augmented by lavender and other flowering plants which will attract pollinating insects to the area.

We hope that passers by will be intrigued by the fruit and vegetables grown there, and may hopefully be encouraged to try growing their own, or at least aim to buy more locally grown food.

Prestbury Beaumont

Orchard regeneration and new vegetable garden construction

The winter months were spent clearing brambles and bracken, and pruning the apple trees.

In March, work began on constructing raised beds for vegetables.

By June we were able to demonstrate
a transformation of the orchard...

...and a very productive raised bed system to the residents.........

..at the opening garden party where
tea and cakes were served..

..by the Food4Macc team.

The Rowans Care Home

T

At the Rowans Care Home off Bollinbrook Road, the staff and residents have been keen to be involved in developing a spare piece of ground.

A short laurel hedge was planted to provide a wind break, and raised beds were filled with locally sourced soil and compost.

Within a few weeks the results were a remarkable demonstration of how much food can be grown in a small area:-

On Friday June 18th, Deputy Mayor of Cheshire East Council, councillor Roger West, visited the garden as part of the celebrations of the official opening of a new extension to the Rowans building.

In October we began Phase II, planting fruit bushes on the more public south side of the building, training them onto espalier wires.

It is hoped this will make a very pleasant outdoor area for the residents. This work for the first time has been assisted by Community PayBack working parties.

All Hallows Catholic College

Food4Macc has extended the existing raised beds in the college's garden, and erected a polytunnel. The students are now planning to produce food for sale to the local community, as a model business for their studies.

In return, Food4macc is very grateful for the College's help with printing and use of their excellent conference facilities for meetings.

A 10metre polytunnel has been constructed

Bollinbrook School

Food4Macc worked with Friends of Bollinbrook, constructing raised beds in the school's grounds.

Location map

Friends of Bollinbrook web gallery

School website

The Heritage Walk (opposite Halfords)

The main Heritage Walk garden is on the east side of Churchill way
and there is a second triangular brick wall-enclosed area opposite

There is parking on Duke St & Samuel St.

The Guild & Chamber of Trade have been given permission by the Regeneration Officer at Cheshire East Council to improve the land on Churchill Way as an amenity area and green breathing space. The work has commenced with the provision of :- A pathway has been laid An initial cutback of old shrubbery and crown lift of trees. A huge quantity of litter has been removed from the undergrowth Daffodil and Snowdrop bulbs have been planted.

Cheshire East have agreed to cut the grassed area and provide a seat and a rubbish bin (surplus to requirement and relocated from another area). This is a very large area to manage and re-establish as a "wood" in order to bring back wildlife and insects for biodiversity and sustainability with help from the RSPB.

Feel free to adopt -  as this is for the community and well being of everyone.

Belong, Kennedy Avenue

Raised beds have been built at the Belong Care Home off Kennedy avenue.

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With the help of Macclesfield Community Garden Centre
we have constructed a kidney shaped raised bed, high enough for wheelchair users.

The garden was officially opened by MP David Rutley
on September 1st 2011

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Ivy Bank School

 

 

Food4Macc supporter, Sally Furphy has independently
created a Garden Club at Ivy Bank School.

Food4Macc volunteers have been pleased to lend
a hand with building the beds,
and we have helped with the provision of tools,
equipment, seeds and manure.

 

 

 

Garden Share Scheme

Former mayor of Macclesfield, Norman Edwards became the first person to agree to share his garden, allowing a young couple to begin growing food in his disused vegetable plot in Tytherington. Since then we have established another six garden shares.

More about the Food4Macc Garden Share Scheme here or read another more recent Macc Express feature on Garden Sharing here .

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