Lock-down

★ The Patchworking Garden closed its doors back in March but now we are preparing to re-open. Our two main fund-raising Open Days – in April and June – were both cancelled with the loss of the income that we need to run the garden.

★ Throughout the pandemic we have kept in  touch with those we support and we know they have really missed the friendship and outdoor space the garden offers.

★ A small group of volunteers has returned, with appropriate precautions, to bring some order to a garden that has continued to grow and bloom! Many of the vegetables, as they ripen, are being donated to the Community Fridge for distribution.

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Iris’ Story
Iris is 72 and suffers with the early stages of Dementia. According to both her and her brother, attending the garden is the highlight of her week. Iris loves to chat and will do so for the whole session!
During lock-down her carer has visited three times a week but no one else … her brother lives 50 miles away. Iris has neither internet access nor a mobile phone and so she has had regular phone calls from us when her repeated question is, “When can I return to the Garden?” Iris uses community transport to attend the garden so we are hopeful that when that is re-established she will be back with us and enjoying her face-to-face chats once again.
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Jonathan’s Story
Jonathan is 30 and lives in a flat on his own – his family live in a different county and though he has ongoing anxiety and depression he is not receiving help from local services as his needs are not
deemed to be sufficiently severe. However, going out on his own, even to his local park, would be overwhelming for him. So we know he has been out very little unless he is desperate for shopping.
Jonathan’s sense of isolation has increased and his mood deteriorated. He tells us he longs to be back in the safety of the garden feeling productive.

We need your help to re-open

★ We plan to re-open in August but first we must ensure the safety of all who attend … hygiene and social distancing are our priorities.

★ We need to install new hand-washing stations, create a new covered area for meeting and ensure a regular supply of PPE, disinfectant and hand-washing gel.

★ The immediate costs of re-opening are in excess of £5,000; with a further £6,000 to provide improved facilities for working under cover during the winter months.

★ Please consider making a contribution to the Re-Opening Appeal by clicking on one of the Donate buttons.

★ Alternatively you may prefer to donate by sending a cheque to …
The Patchworking Garden Project
44 Westbank, Dorking, RH4 3DH
Click to Donate