Wera Hobhouse meets Adam Greton (left) and Matt Semel (right) from the city garden
Bath MP Wera Hobhouse praised the city’s garden work at Royal Victoria Park.
Opened in March 2021, the garden is dedicated to the expansion of soft nature and the promotion of wildlife through its products.
Matt Schmelz, who oversees the day-to-day operations, and Adam Greton, a non-executive, showed the Hobo House around the site about the current initiative.
The town’s garden is managed and operated by a social enterprise, a community interest company, and the Bath and Northeast Council of Somerset, which supplies some plants.
Grow Yourself For the past five years, gardening has been provided to young unemployed adults in the bathroom.
The garden offers two on-site training programs – Therapeutic Gardening and Supported Assignments – and is located at the bottom of the B&N Council nursery.
All profits from the city’s garden have been re-trained to help improve the mental health and well-being of local adults.
The site needs volunteers to help with activities such as watering the garden, making displays attractive and refreshing, filling stocks, and watering and dying heads.
After the visit, a member of the Bat Wera Hobhouse House of Commons said: “It was a pleasure to visit the city garden, which is doing so much for the community.
“The site provides a perfect combination of sustainable practices and training for young unemployed people to return to work.
I can’t resist buying some plants and I encourage anyone to go down to the garden.
Matt Symele, director of day-to-day operations, said: “It was great to show Weran around our site in Victoria Park and finally open it after three attempts last year.
Our goal is to help unemployed youth return to work through two on-the-spot training programs. We are always waiting for volunteers, so contact us if you would like to join us.
As a local ambassador, pay special attention to the bathroom, Somerset.
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