RSPCA Community garden starts to take shape

The garden, which will be based at the charity’s Hull and East Riding branch in Clough Road, is set to open later this year after local firms pitched in to help make the urban oasis a reality.

A wide range of Hull companies have contributed to get the project off the ground. As well as winning a £1,000 community grant from KCOM, the animal charity has also received paint from Crown Paints, timber from the Caspian Group, plants from Coletta and Tyson and tyres from Ray Mercer tyres. Staff and inmates from HMP Humber’s workshop also gave their time and expertise, hand-building the raised flower beds.

RSPCA Hull & East Riding branch manager Alison Ripley said the help is essential in creating an invaluable community resource.

She said: “We’re really grateful for all the contributions which are going towards creating our community garden at Clough Road.

“The garden will be open to the local community and schools and will be a place where people can learn about what they can do in an urban environment, what they can do in their own gardens and also about what they can do to protect the environment.

“There will be raised flower beds and an insect hotel and we’ll also be growing vegetables that we’ll be able to feed to our rabbits, making us more self-sufficient.

“The garden will be an extension of our education room which has benefitted more than 2,000 disadvantaged children since it opened.”

The garden will continue to take shape into the spring when the conditions are ideal for planting,  with a grand opening planned for later this year.

In the meantime, staff at the RSPCA Hull & East Riding Branch are continuing to raise funds for their other initiatives which include their £1m campaign to improve their Clough Road animal shelter.

As part of this the charity is running a scheme where dog lovers can ‘sponsor a brick‘ for £5 at its new kennels as well as appealing for donations for its shops around the region. It is also calling for local companies to get involved in a sponsored walk across the Wolds Way.

The three-day walk will take place in May and each team taking part is asked to raise £500 in sponsorship.

This week, Alison Ripley and Louise Babych from the RSPCA visited KCOM’s Carr Lane HQ to collect donations made by the communications firm’s employees for sale at the charity’s network of local shops. Alison said she would be delighted to hear from any other local firms who would also like to host collection points to donate items for sale.

For more details click here or visit the charity on Facebook and Twitter @RSPCAHull

If you would like to know more about the Wolds Way Walk or hosting a collection point email louise.babych@rspcahull.org.uk