The Greenhouse Project: “Blackburn Naturally Together” 🌱💚
In Blackburn, Near Neighbours supported The Greenhouse Project to run sixteen sessions for women from diverse backgrounds, enabling them to enjoy wildlife walks, arts and crafts, faith discussions, gardening, and cooking.
The project involved refugees and asylum seekers as well as women from the local area.
On the day of the project visit, women learned how to use a traditional wood cutting machine and drill and had the opportunity to make some practical and creative wood crafts. Women also learned how to grow a range of herbs and how to use them in cooking.
After these activities in the greenhouses, the group joined a group of South Asian women at the community centre to share food and conversation as part of a Women’s Day celebration.
The mixture of hands-on-activities, conversation, and food made for an energising and interactive day.
Participating women shared that being part of this group has improved their mental health and given them joy in spending time in nature.
Several women also said that being part of this group was the first time that they’d had a proper conversation with someone of a different faith.
The project evaluator observed that the group atmosphere was welcoming, inclusive, and full of laughter.
The project lead reflected: “We managed to successfully engage several people who had been isolated for some time and not felt confident to join a community project. For many of these the faith- and nature-based nature of the project provided a reassuring context to pluck up courage to attend. One woman in particular stated how surprised yet encouraged her family were that she was doing the project.”