Home Group Pendower Good Neighbour Project, Pendower Estate, Newcastle garden Christmas event Picture: DAVID WOOD

Our latest ‘Enterprise in Disguise’ project which uses business enterprise skills for social action has helped develop and launch Sunnybank Secret Garden in Pendower in Benwell.

Through a successful partnership working with Pendower Good Neighbour Project we have created a women’s skills and wellbeing group who have been meeting once a week to volunteer in the garden. In return we have helped to develop their skills and now three of the women have jobs, one has started volunteering and the others have benefitted from making new friendships and combating isolation through some difficult times throughout the Covid-19 Pandemic.

On Saturday 12th December the women’s group successfully organised the launch event for the garden, which was backed by corporate support to develop the land into a lovely play area and learning space for local people. A huge thanks to Home Group, BAM Construction, Ask Retail, Three Sixty Group and Sustain Landscapes who worked specifically on the garden through the One Strawberry Lane Community Project.

The One Strawberry Lane Community Project includes donations, construction, tradespeople, landscaping, skills development, volunteering, and mentoring. Read more  in our blog

The Women’s Dig Lunch and Learn group was facilitated by Upstart Enterprise and was funded by The National Lottery Local Connections Fund, Newcastle Fund and Newcastle Community Health Fund and Moto, as well as donations in kind and expertise worth thousands of pounds from One Environment, Bidfood, Cowells Garden Centre and Morrisons Cowgate.

The garden will go on to support many generations of families and local groups in years to come in the Benwell area.