Growing spirit on 'left-out' Longbenton estate
TWO sisters have set out to bring the good life back to the Tyneside council housing estate where they grew up.
Karen Clark and Julie Cruddas founded the Justice Prince community interest company three years ago to improve the quality of life on the Longbenton estate in North Tyneside, and other similar areas. Justice was the maiden name of their mother and Prince was their father's surname.
At Longbenton, one of the main measures to bring about change has been the creation of the Good Life community garden on the site of 18 derelict allotments on Chesters Avenue.
The garden has about 30 volunteers, who help grow vegetables and fruit, learn skills, build up their confidence and self-esteem and become part of a supportive social network.
The garden also operates a veggie box scheme which delivers to 15 locations in North Tyneside.
It is starting a gardens service operation to take care of plots which householders cannot, perhaps because of age or disability. Tomorrow, the Good Life garden will join in the national Big Lunch initiative, an open-air social event organised by the Eden Project in Cornwall.
The Good Life has its roots in a development five years ago when Julie helped establish the Longbenton Community Action Team.
She says: "Local people were fed up with the ways things were going. We talked to and listened to around 2,000 residents about what they felt was wrong and what was needed."
Key issues
The key issues were a lack of:
- Facilities for young people on the estate;
- Green spaces;
- Access to affordable fresh fruit and vegetables.
That led to the founding of the Good Life venture, of which Julie, 44, is project director. The first task was to clear the derelict site of everything from car bonnets to carpets.
Julie says: "The development of the site was a huge, uphill struggle. Then, we had limited knowledge, skills and experience. It isn't just about growing vegetables. The Good Life has given people confidence, and has been a lifeline for those suffering from social isolation and exclusion and health problems by providing outdoor exercise and a social network in a safe, friendly environment."
Future hopes include full-time staff and persuading Nexus to open up direct access to the garden from the nearby Longbenton Metro station.
"Community gardens show people where their food comes from and provide informal education. It's getting back to basics," says Julie. Karen, 47, who is chief executive of Justice Prince, says: " Having grown up on the estate, we felt we had a good understanding of what it was like for people in these communities."
"We were concerned that they were being left out and left behind."
"Our core aim is to improve the quality of life for people, find out what is needed to improve their lives and communities, and to offer support and give them a role in these improvements and feeling a part of something. It is a journey for them. It is about developing new ways of involving people and them taking an active role in their communities."
The Big Lunch at the Good Life garden tomorrow will run from noon to 3pm and will feature a hog roast, veggie BBQ, and activities such as berry picking and children planting pumpkin seeds for Halloween.
Learning curves
LONGBENTON estate resident and volunteer Tracey Embleton is now a director of the Good Life.
She says: "We have learned so much. Many people didn't know how to make their own soup, for example."
"I didn't know what a courgette was before I got involved but now we know about crop rotation."
"There is also the social element of people getting together. I would love to see sort of thing develop nationally."
The Good Life is helping other community ventures by passing on what has been learned.
One new project which has benefited from the Good Life's input has been a community garden at East Howdon in North Tyneside.
At East Howdon Linda Whitworth, 56, who spent 20 years working for the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (Unicef) in Sudan and Iraq, helped set up the A Team, a residents' group in to lead a drive to regenerate the area.
The group has brought new life to East Howdon's community centre, and has seen a play area and multi-games area developed.
The community garden on what had been derelict land is their latest venture.
Justice Prince is also helping the Cedarwood project on the Meadow Well estate in North Shields, which has set up a community kitchen.
November 18th 2013