GARDEN HOPE
Hope for the garden. Hope for the household. Hope for the neighbourhood. Hope for the future.
A neglected garden is often about much more than weeds and overgrown hedges.
It can be connected to ill health, disability, bereavement, loneliness, unemployment, financial hardship or circumstances that have made maintaining an outdoor space feel impossible.
Garden Hope brings residents, volunteers and local organisations together to transform neglected gardens and green spaces, and to create something that lasts beyond the gardening.
Through practical action, community cooperation and opportunities to develop new skills, we help people restore their outdoor spaces, build confidence, contribute to their neighbourhood and progress towards volunteering, leadership, training and paid employment.
Just a few hours can make a big difference
Transforming more than just the garden
Garden Hope Cohorts
A complete six-week garden transformation and employability programme
A Garden Hope Cohort is a stand-alone project combining practical skills development with visible community transformation.
A typical Cohort runs for two days a week over six weeks, although we can adapt the timetable to suit your organisation, participants and community.
What can a Garden Hope Cohort achieve?
A Cohort can:
- Support up to three volunteers to develop practical garden skills, confidence and employability.
- Recognise participants’ learning through AQA’s Unit Award Scheme.
- Transform up to eight overgrown residential gardens.
- Improve one community green space, which can also provide a safe practice environment.
- Strengthen relationships between residents, volunteers and local organisations.
- Generate evidence of social and environmental impact for partners and funders.
Fully managed by our team
Green Space Transformations manages the project from preparation through to evaluation.
We can help you:
- Identify and recruit suitable participants.
- Connect with residents who need a garden transformation.
- Select and assess appropriate gardens and green spaces.
- Coordinate referrals and project partners.
- Deliver practical training and supervised transformation days.
- Manage health and safety, insurance and operating procedures.
- Provide the tools and equipment required for delivery.
- Capture stories, photographs and project learning.
Delivery is led by experienced Green Space Transformations staff.
Evaluation and reporting
Following the Cohort, we will provide an evaluation and project report covering the activity delivered, participant progress, gardens transformed, community outcomes and key learning.
This can be shared with your organisation, community partners, funders and local residents.
Pricing
Recommended website price:
From £10,000 plus VAT.
Most fully managed Cohorts cost approximately £12,500 plus VAT, subject to location, garden condition, waste removal and material requirements.
Garden Hope Team Launch
Establish a trained and equipped Garden Hope Team in your community
Garden Hope Team Launch is for organisations that want to establish their own locally led Garden Hope Team and continue delivering after the initial training period.
We will work alongside your organisation to train local leaders, establish safe operating systems, complete your first garden transformations and prepare your Team for ongoing delivery.
What is included?
We will:
- Train up to five local leaders.
- Deliver practical garden-transformation and project-leadership training.
- Transform up to five overgrown gardens alongside your new Team.
- Develop leadership skills, team culture and volunteer management.
- Provide health and safety guidance, risk-assessment templates and method statements.
- Provide operating checklists and guidance for common gardening tasks.
- Help establish referral, assessment and project-planning systems.
- Provide a core starter package of tools and equipment.
- Support your Team to communicate its work safely and effectively.
- Help you plan future volunteer recruitment and local partnerships.
Continue delivering locally
Following the launch programme, an approved Team will be able to deliver Garden Hope activity in its own community under an agreed licence and quality framework.
Subject to readiness and ongoing quality requirements, Teams may also be approved to deliver local Garden Hope Cohorts.
Ongoing support
Your Team will join the wider Garden Hope Network and receive:
- Updated templates, procedures and operating resources.
- Health and safety updates and toolbox talks.
- Access to shared learning and good practice.
- Regular online Network meetings.
- Peer support from other Garden Hope Teams.
- Advice from Green Space Transformations.
- Annual review and refresher support.
- Permission to use agreed Garden Hope branding and materials.
Pricing
Recommended website price:
From £12,500 plus VAT. A standard fully supported Team Launch, including a starter toolkit and first-year Network support, would typically cost £15,000 plus VAT.
Ongoing licence and Network support after the first year: £150 plus VAT per month or £1,650 plus VAT annually.
Travel, accommodation, exceptional waste removal, specialist work and unusually high material costs will be quoted separately.