The Mayor of Sandwell, Councillor Geoff Lewis, visited Ideal for All’s Salop Drive Market Garden today for the public launch of ‘Growing Healthy Communities: A community agriculture strategy for Sandwell.’

Sandwell has long held a dream to create a greener, more productive environment for its citizens.  The pioneering Strategy, the first of its kind in the UK, was commissioned by Sandwell Primary Care Trust on behalf of Sandwell Partnership and Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council.

The foresight shown by local people and their organisations over many years, combined with the success of Ideal for All’s award-winning Growing Opportunities programme and its Salop Drive and Malthouse Gardens, celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, shows what can be achieved in turning previously derelict land into welcoming, productive, and accessible green spaces for gardening and food growing.

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What do you want from a network?

A Sandwell network of voluntary and community organisations supporting people with disabilities is being set up by Ideal For All (IFA). The role of IFA is to facilitate this network to encourage information sharing and joint working to benefit local people. The name is subject to change. Each organisation that attends should ideally be represented by a service user and a member of staff.

The first meeting will look at what you think such a network could do.

A new innovative ‘gardening from home’ pilot is being launched by Sandwell Primary Care Trust and its partners across the borough.

The scheme is for people who are at risk of falls and lack the confidence to garden independently. It is the result of work by Sandwell Primary Care Trust, Sandwell Council and Ideal for All. Referrals for the scheme are being taken now with the first people starting gardening from March 2010.

Veronica Barry, project lead from local charity Ideal for All, thinks the joint approach to this new scheme will work wonders for Sandwell people. She said: “Gardening from Home can really make a difference to older people who have lost their confidence because of falls or fear of falling.

“Gardening is a fantastic way to build confidence and improve mobility, independence, confidence and even fitness.

“It’s a pilot initially where twenty people over the next twelve months will hopefully reap the benefits of this pioneering programme.”

The pilot builds on the popular Walk from Home programme from Sandwell Primary Care Trust that is often used as part of older people’s rehabilitation programmes.

Andrew Wood, Walk from Home lead said: “Walk from Home has helped many older people walk further and for longer, and has made huge improvements in their quality of life.  Gardening from Home will expand on this and offer people the opportunity to develop a whole new set of skills through home intervention. Both programmes offer tailored, one to one help to older people in the perfect place for them to be able to accept such help – their own home.”

Referrals are via the Primary Care Rehabilitation Teams SAP1 forms can be faxed in confidence to Richard Billingsley on 0121 565 7973

Wednesday 31 March 2010 11am – 3pm

Ideal for All’s Malthouse Garden
Smethwick, B66 1JE near Birmingham, Tel 0121 558 5555.

Are you interested in gardening?

Did you once enjoy gardening but have lost your sight and your confidence?

Do you have sight problems and are interested in learning some new gardening techniques?

Then why not come to the Thrive Garden Workshop at Ideal for All. There will be: practical workshops where you will learn new gardening techniques, tools and equipment to try, garden tours and a chance to meet other blind gardeners. You will have plants, gardening advice and fresh ideas to take home.

The day is funded by the Big Lottery Fund.

Tea, coffee and lunch will be provided.

For further information or to book a place on the day contact:
Wendy Chamberlain or Susan Twigg at Thrive on telephone 0118 988 5688, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or write to Thrive, The Geoffrey Udall Centre, Beech Hill, Reading RG7 2AT