Communal garden at Lincoln Drive gets a revamp!

Due to some brilliant partnership work, the communal garden at our temporary accommodation scheme, Lincoln Drive, has been given a new lease of life.

Lincoln Drive, South Oxhey – owned by Three Rivers District Council but managed by Watford Community Housing – is used to house up to 38 vulnerable families temporarily while permanent accommodation is sought.

The council’s housing team and the Play Rangers – who provide council-funded summer activities for children in the district – volunteered to paint the mural of a flower meadow while Caloo, a play area installation company, completed the revamp works at the communal garden, which includes new play equipment, willow tunnels, bug hotels, a chalk station, planting areas, outdoor whiteboard and a storytelling area.

Any leftover materials, such as plywood, willow, plant pots and paint, will be re-used for future art-related activities and to fill in the bug hotels. 

New Hope – a Watford-based charity that works with people who are experiencing homelessness – gave families a planting session which included information on how flowers help to pollinate vegetables and the benefits that gardening has on your wellbeing. New Hope are providing a monthly engagement session around the garden which will focus on art, planting and education.

Carpenders Park Garden Centre and Plant Nursery supplied all the plants and compost for the garden and kindly donated tools and gloves for the planting session.

Sotira Pamphile, Lettings Manager for Watford Community Housing, said: “Refurbishing the communal garden has proved to be a great opportunity for collaborative working with TRDC, Caloo, New Hope and our other partners. 

“By working together to upgrade the garden facilities we have been able to provide those living in temporary accommodation with the opportunity to engage in a wide range of outdoor activities, such as gardening and creating a bug hotel. 

“We believe that this will help to foster an improved sense of community for those who call Lincoln Drive their temporary home.”

Take a look at the before and after photos below!