A special day with filled planting flowers, laughter, and the warmth of community spirit was hosted at a Little Hulton care home.
The event saw Kenyon Lodge care home team up with Walkden in Bloom, in a celebration of the community that saw them ‘roll up their sleeves’ to create come something truly special.
Hosted on Wednesday 23 July, the event saw residents, families, and the wider community join in to plant flowers, create memories, and install new planters in the area.
The community group were able to share memories but also build new ones, as they also celebrated the event with a BBQ – keeping everyone well-fed.
Following the event, Walkden in Bloom founder, Paul Whitelegg shared how the planting day in the community began.
He said: “The manager of the care home, Emma got in touch with us and told us how much our work cheers her up, as the flowers in the community have made a difference. And she wanted to encourage the care home and the community to do something similar.
“So, we wanted to help, as Walkden in Bloom is all about the community coming together and making the area a better to place to live.”
Walkden in Bloom launched in April this year and is a community-driven environmental initiative aimed at enhancing the aesthetic appeal, environmental sustainability, and community spirit of Walkden.
The community group operates on a voluntary basis, with a team of enthusiastic local residents dedicating their time and efforts to improve the town’s appearance.
And now with the group hosting regular litter picks, having a love for planting, and making the area a “cleaner, greener, and more beautiful place”, it is making the difference to the Walkden community.
For the event itself hosted last Wednesday, the group saw various community contributions to support the efforts of bringing ‘colour to the care home’.
As they saw groups in the community band together to provide supplies for the planting event, such as the team at UBU Environmental in Walkden, who supplied two tons of soil made from recovered road sweeping wastes.
The soil is part of a two and a half year knowledge transfer partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University, displaying the power of collaboration and sustainability.
And the event was also received a special contribution from Lisa at Linnyshaw Garden Centre in Walkden, who provided the gorgeous flowers that brought life and colour to the garden beds, turning them into a place of beauty and love.
Paul continued: “We asked them at short notice, but the community came together with the idea that the residents and families had something to talk about when visiting the home.
“We wanted to create an opportunity for people in the home, or visitors of the home to have an opportunity to talk to one another and share their experiences.”
With the gentle guidance of staff and volunteers, everyone got stuck in, planting flowers and building new memories, with Gary, the handyman, also working his magic building new planters.
Paul added: “The residents and families planted them all – and it was used as a way to create conversation and lasting memories, and the home put on a BBQ to make sure that everyone was fed.
“It will make a huge difference, as the planted flowers made it look wonderful, and once again showcase the pride in the area, as people want to make it a beautiful place to live.”
But this day wasn’t just about planting flowers; it was about sowing the seeds of connection, creating moments of joy, and making memories that will last a lifetime.
The love and camaraderie shared by all involved was truly heartwarming, reminding us that community is about more than just shared spaces—it’s about shared hearts.
Paul continued: “We want people to look at the work we have done and are doing in the area as we want them to share that civic pride.
“We are sowing the seeds so that more and more can get done – we are looking after community gardens and doing regular litter picks as well.
“We are getting a lot of support from local businesses too – the more we do, the more support we get.”
He added: “But as a long as we are all doing our part – it will make a community happier and stronger – everyone is looking after the area and event like this is an extension of the pride we share – as we are helping the area to grow.”
And with the community group getting bigger and bigger, even having their own community allotment – the plans are to make sure the community thrives in colour.
More information about Walkden in Bloom and how you can get involved can be found here.
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