Waterside partners buddy up with local park group

Northampton-based volunteer group Buddies of Beckets (BOB) celebrated the installation of three eye-catching planters created with input from University of Northampton, at Beckets Park on 23 March.

The large bespoke wooden planters have been built especially for Beckets Park, which is situated next to the new Waterside campus.

The planters were built by service users at Workbridge – a part of St. Andrew’s Healthcare which provides vocational training opportunities for people with mental illness, learning disabilities or brain injuries.

Plants were donated by University of Northampton and contractor for the Waterside campus, Bowmer and Kirkland, have supplied the hardcore and earth.

BOB’s goal was to enhance the look of the park but to also provide an interesting challenge for the servicer users, who built the planters under the supervision of Vocational Skills Instructors.

Luisa Jepson, Beckets Park Coordinator explained: “The aim was to turn Beckets Park into a wellbeing park to benefit residents in the Castle Ward area of Northampton. As well as providing people with opportunities to take part in gardening projects in the park, the planters will really enhance the environment of Beckets Park.”

Nick Stephens, Chairman of Buddies of Beckets, added: “The three new planters will make the park more attractive and welcoming. The wood panels will soon weather and once the planters are filled with plants and flowers they will look really effective.”

“Our thanks to all the workers at Bowmer & Kirkland. The hardcore and earth was very much appreciated and their help shows true partnership working in action. Not only did they provide the material but they also went around putting it into the planters – something that if we had to do ourselves would have taken us days.”

Email Buddies of Beckets for more information about their work or see their Facebook page.