Blooming lovely!

The gardens at St Mary’s Almshouses are getting a new lease of life thanks to our new volunteer Margaret.

Margaret met with some of the Newbury Almshouse Trust team at the recent Volunteer Fair at the Corn Exchange, run by the Volunteer Centre West Berkshire. She had been volunteering for years while living in Wales, but had recently moved to Newbury and was looking for something to get involved with. When she heard we were looking for volunteers with gardening experience, it was the perfect match!

Margaret has been helping the residents at St Mary’s with their gardens, tidying them up after the winter and pruning back plants that have grown a little wild. She is also waiting to see what other plants bloom in the garden over the summer, so she can plan in for future growth.

Some of our residents are not able to look after the gardens themselves anymore, but Margaret thinks that it shouldn’t be a barrier to enjoying a lovely garden. “The gardens have been well tended in previous years, with some lovely roses in particular. It will be great for the residents to see their gardens looked after. Even if they can’t get out, they can look out the window over the garden and see something beautiful.”

Margaret has always loved gardening, but her move to Newbury means that she doesn’t have a garden of her own. She also used to tend to her mother’s garden and saw how much pleasure her mother got from having a cared-for garden. Now she is able to do the same for our residents, doing the gardening she loves while they enjoy the wonderful spaces she creates.

We’re so grateful to Margaret for all of her hard work. She’s already made such a difference in a few short months, to the benefit of all our residents.

If you’re interested in volunteering with the Newbury Almshouse Trust, please contact us today.