Volunteers create urban oasis for Cardiff

Press release 
13 April 2012

For immediate release 

MERTHYR TYDFIL VOLUNTEERS TO HELP CREATE COMMUNITY URBAN OASIS AT RHS SHOW CARDIFF

(download the press release)

Volunteers from Merthyr Tydfil will be getting into the spirit of the first ever National Gardening Week, organised by the RHS, by rolling up their sleeves and helping create an Urban Oasis community garden at the RHS Show Cardiff.
Designed by landscape designer and broadcaster Chris Beardshaw, the Urban Oasis show garden will be exhibited from  April 20-22.  The garden is devised by the Royal Horticultural Society and Groundwork and sponsored by Marks & Spencer.

Inspired by Groundwork and RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood community green space projects across South Wales, it features a number of different Welsh natural habitats and will illustrate how good quality landscape design can transform neglected green spaces for community benefit.

It will also contain an environmentally-conscious display, a weather station and bat boxes.  After the show, the garden will be recreated at the Fedw Hir Eco-Centre at Llwydcoed, near Aberdare, home of Groundwork Merthyr & Rhondda Cynon Taff and an environmental education centre. It will be used as a learning resource for local schools.

The volunteers helping to build the garden at the show and recreate it back at Fedw Hir take part in Groundwork Merthyr & Rhondda Cynon Taff’s Horticultural Learning Zone (HLZ).  The HLZ project aims to grow as wide a variety of fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers as possible, with the harvest being sold on site and at the monthly Merthyr Farmers’ Market.  

Many of the volunteers are long term unemployed. One of them, Paul Bryce, aged 28, of Pentrebach, said:   “Working at the HLZ has opened a lot doors for me.  I feel taking part in something like this creates a real ripple effect, as I can pass on things I’ve learned.  I’m now teaching my son how to grow tomatoes!

“It’s a massive honour and a privilege to be helping to build the garden at RHS Show Cardiff.  It’s overwhelming that someone like Chris Beardshaw not only took the time to visit us but also liked our work so much he wanted to incorporate it into his show garden.  It feels great to be part of a team that started with nothing to have our potential recognised.”

Chris Beardshaw, who visited the HLZ and other projects earlier this year added:  “The green space around us – where we live and work – has a fundamental effect on our emotions and behaviour.  It is well documented that in areas where these spaces are neglected and poorly designed we see strong evidence of social unrest and it is easy to see why when you stand in these spaces yourself.  

Whatever the green need there is a solution and contrary to popular belief it doesn’t have to mean high cost – the Urban Oasis Gardens showcase design solutions which can make such a difference in people's lives.”

Groundwork helps people across Wales to create better neighbourhoods, build skills and job prospects and live and work in a greener way.  Last year, in Wales Groundwork:  
  • Created or safeguarded 1,155 jobs: 
  • Supported more than 134,700 days of volunteering by young people and adults
  • Provided more than 10,000 weeks of training, with more than 1,140 formal qualifications gained;
  • Planted more than 7,900 trees, improved and maintained more than 3,875,000 square metres of land 
The RHS helps over 100 communities and gardening groups in Wales. To find out more, visit the Wales in Bloom team at RHS Show Cardiff. To read about RHS’ work in the community, including how schemes like RHS Britain in Bloom and It’s Your Neighbourhood have helped transform communities in Wales, visit the Britain in Bloom website: http://www.rhs.org.uk/Gardening/Community-gardening.

National Gardening Week, from April 14-22, is a chance for the RHS to share its wealth of knowledge with every gardener across the nation.

ENDS

For further information or for requests to interview either Chris Beardshaw or the volunteers helping to build the site on press day (April 20) contact:

Garry Campbell, Senior Press & PR Officer, Groundwork UK
T:   0121 237 5811
M: 07703 535841
E:   garry.campbell@groundwork.org.uk

Notes to Editors

About the gardens*
For the first time ever, the RHS will be working in partnership to bring an exhibit to every RHS show this season, starting with Cardiff:
  • RHS Show Cardiff:   20 – 22 April 2012
  • Malvern Spring Gardening Show:   10 – 13 May 2012
  • RHS Chelsea Flower Show: 22 – 26 May 2012
  • BBC Gardeners’ World Live   13 – 17 June 2012
  • RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show: 03 – 08 July 2012
  • RHS Flower Show Tatton Park: 18 – 22 July 2012
About the RHS
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s foremost gardening charity, helping and inspiring millions of people to garden.  We do this at our gardens and shows and through our scientific research, publications, libraries and our education and community programmes.  We are entirely funded by our members, visitors and supporters.  
RHS membership is for anyone with an interest in gardening.  Support the RHS and secure a healthy future for gardening.  For more information call 0845 130 4646, or visit www.rhs.org.uk.
RHS Registered Charity No.  222879/SC038262

About Groundwork
Groundwork is the community charity with a green heart.  We want places to look better, streets to be safer and outside areas to be green and beautiful.  We want people of all ages to be able to do stuff together to make the best of where they live.  We want to improve job prospects by offering training and employment opportunities.  We want to show people how they can make their homes and workplaces better for the environment and cheaper to run.
www.groundwork.org.uk