A Place to Grow is our community garden project in partnership with Blaby District Council. It is located in Mill Lane, Enderby next to the Leisure Centre.

A Place to Grow supports groups of people with a range of mental illnesses, physical disabilities and learning difficulties. It also provides garden plots for community groups from Enderby and surrounding areas, including young people and the U3A. The overall aim is to raise people’s awareness and understanding of the contribution physical activity and a good diet, using home grown organic produce, can make to everyone’s wellbeing and good health.

Each group has its own plot to cultivate, but is also encouraged to help with the shared areas which include a large paved sensory garden, picnic lawn, orchard, wildlife area and ponds.

The A Place to Grow community also welcomes individual people from across the District and beyond. Although we are unable to provide people with their own individual plot they act as volunteers to groups and help with tasks throughout the garden. Of course they also benefit from the produce which is shared by everyone. Surplus fruit and vegetables are sold to the public to raise much needed funds.

Our garden co-ordinator, Joe Chaney, and our team of volunteers is on-hand to advise and work alongside groups on their own plots. Community Action Blaby District’s mental health groups have sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 2pm and on Fridays from 9.30am to 12.30pm. Other groups use the garden at these times but also have access at other times to suit themselves.

Local business and organisations including British Gas, Bardon Aggregates, Blaby Rotary Club, Enderby Parish Council and Glebe Garden Centre support the garden through substantial gifts and resources and also through staff volunteers.

Typical activities at A Place to Grow are organic vegetable and flower gardening, cultivating soft fruit, composting, recycling, building new beds, developing the orchard and wildlife area and general site maintenance.

A Place to Grow is an Award Winning project. This year Keep Britain Tidy awarded the garden a Green Pennant which recognises high quality green spaces across England and Wales that are managed by voluntary organisations, with a particular focus on community involvement and practising organic gardening methods. The Guardian newspaper has shortlisted A Place to Grow in the complex needs category of its national 2009 Public Services Awards.

Each year A Place to Grow holds a number of Public Open Days and Events. This year’s Summer Open Day, for example, saw over 350 people celebrate the opening of the sensory garden in glorious sunshine and raising funds through a tombola, BBQ, plant sales, raffle and various games. In 2010 we plan more open days and a summer evening of music for service users, volunteers, supporters and the local community.

If you would like to be a part of A Place to Grow then please contact us on 0116 272 7669 or email aplacetogrow@cabd.org.uk.  You are also welcome to call in at the garden during the open times shown above.

An evening of music in the garden… at A Place To Grow, Mill Lane, Enderby (next to Enderby Leisure Centre): Friday 2nd July, 6.30pm - 9.30pm. Featuring Enderby Youth Band, Strung Out Sisters, Musical Village Choir. Includes a hog roast or vegetable paella. Soft drinks available to purchase. Feel free to bring your own bottle of wine. Tickets: £10 adults, £7 children. For more details or to book tickets, please contact Community Action Blaby District Telephone; 0116 2727669. Email; community@cabd.org.uk