Get your wellies ready and your green fingers twitching! The NAAFI Fund has awarded a generous £5,000 to the Army Welfare Service (AWS) Catterick Garrison, to cultivate a love of nature and gardening across the generations in their community! This isn’t just about children just digging in the dirt—it’s about creating a sustainable, educational and enriching growing space for everyone, young and old.
Thanks to this award, the team have purchased a fantastic new greenhouse and accessible raised beds, along with all the essential seeds and equipment. They’re creating an inclusive environment where service families and the wider community can explore the wonders of gardening, connect with nature and grow together.
Groups will be fully engaged in planting, tending, and harvesting a variety of plants, fruit and vegetables bringing the ‘farm-to-table’ concept right to their doorstep. They are encouraging healthy eating habits and educating children to truly understand the journey of our food. No experience needed—just a willingness to get a little muddy.
Instilling a sense of responsibility towards our planet is key. The AWS team are teaching the importance of sustainable practises, recycling and how to encourage biodiversity—think buzzing bees and happy butterflies!
Gardening is a team sport! This project will foster teamwork and co-operation as both children and adults work side-by-side, sharing their knowledge and eventually, sharing their fantastic produce with the community.
The project wasn’t without its challenges (not mentioning the gruelling movement of 10 tonnes of soil), but the teamwork turned the hard work into a huge success.
Neil Brimer AWS, Project Lead said “It has been really exciting to bring an outdoor space, where the community can learn and grow together. We have embedded gardening into our children and people’s sessions, so over the year they have had an opportunity to grow and care for both flowers and food. This was by no means a easy task, but we did this as a team and are really proud of the results. Our team then went on to help with the continuous watering and caring of the plants within the fantastic new green house we and the community all use.”
The excitement around this new gardening space isn’t just about the funding—it’s about the amazing dedication of the people who made the Hipswell Habitat a reality!
Michelle Hood, 1 Royal Military Police (RMP) Welfare Officer said “The Hipswell Habitat joint garden venture has brought a lot of joy to our Serving Personnel and families over the last year. 1 RMP Welfare team and 150 Provost Company have all worked closely with the AWS Community Support team on the joint project, to include being able to have our own input into the project.”
We are so excited to see this project blossom and turn a patch of ground into a vibrant hub of learning and growth.
If you have a welfare project in mind, we want to hear about it! Get in touch to find out how the NAAFI Fund can help bring your vision to life. Contact us for more info on how to apply @naafisocial
