Donor power helps transform The Carpenter’s Arms wasteland into thriving meadow

Added by Love Business East Midlands | 29 August 2024

Men’s drug and alcohol addiction recovery charity The Carpenter’s Arms is one step closer to realising its dream of turning a one-acre piece of wasteland into a purposeful meadow space to grow fruit and vegetables, rear chickens and keep bees, thanks to the generosity of local supporters. 

The project has been given the name ‘Malone Meadows’ in memory of Brendan, the husband of Jill Russell, the charity’s Finance Officer. Situated at the charity’s Six Hills site, midway between Melton Mowbray and Loughborough, it is where Phase II of the charity’s recovery programme gets to grips with the root causes of a resident’s addiction, addressing relapse prevention, relationships and life skills through various avenues such as group sessions and key-working.

It has long been recognised that the grounds of the site have real potential for a particular life skill the charity seeks to teach: that of the residents growing their own food. A piece of wasteland is now being transformed into a purposeful space thanks to the generous

donations, including:

1. 120 tonnes of topsoil from residential housebuilder Bellway East Midlands
2. One tonne of cardboard – designed to suppress weeds – supplied by Costco with an additional donation from Southerington Removals
3. 32 tonnes of horse manure, donated by Jill Russell, the charity’s Finance Office 
4. 20 pallets from Midshires Catering used to anchor down the cardboard before becoming the first material for the compost heaps. 

Total Aggregates, Midshires Catering and Southerington Removals supported on the delivery of these items.

Richard Spence, CEO of The Carpenter’s Arms said: 

“It’s been wonderful over the last couple of weeks to see the project take shape. There are so many working parts to this project and it simply would not have been possible without the help of so many local champions.  

“Ours is an ambitious plan, introducing an orchard, vegetable beds, chickens and beehives. The project will be truly circular, with food waste processed on site to help with compost and to provide tasty food for the chickens. In turn, our happy chickens will produce eggs and we expect our bees to produce honey. Ample roof space at the property means we can harvest our rainwater and keep it onsite ready for watering this productive grove.

“As well as giving the residents a place of purpose and hopefully where they can develop their own passion for gardening, there will be significant financial benefits as far as the charity’s food bills are concerned which currently cost in the region of £6,000 to £8,000 per month.”

Adoptions Engineer Andrew Pollard of Bellway East Midlands, whose regional headquarters are based in Leicester, and Richard Noon, MD of Total Aggregates, were on site to oversee the delivery of the topsoil. Andrew said:

“Bellway Homes are proud to support The Carpenter’s Arms with the projects they are undertaking to further enhance their fantastic work.”

Interested parties can learn more about the project via the Malone Meadows YouTube reel or on The Carpenter’s Arms fundraising page.

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