In the Hawke's Bay/Gisborne Area, CPPS operates community work in Ruatoria, Gisborne, Wairoa, Napier, Hastings, and Waipukurau. Find contact details for the Hawke's Bay/Gisborne Area.
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Excerpt from Community Works Issue 6, February 2006 |
Community Work offenders have proved the ideal helpers in a community vegetable garden in Gisborne that’s helping to feed the elderly and the poor.
The Matthew Street Garden Project uses a ? acre section donated by a local real estate agent. It’s managed by Age Concern with help from the Community Probation Service and offenders on Community Work sentences.
Senior Community Work Supervisor Paul Kelly says the partnership dates back to the garden’s early beginnings when individual offenders worked at the garden on agency placements with Age Concern, helping the small team of volunteers.
In late 2004, CPS offered to send in a supervised work party for a couple of weeks to “break the back” of the manual work and reclaim some more of the garden back from weeds.
Since then, offenders have helped to establish new beds, reclaim overgrown gardens, plant and tend gardens, cultivate compost, remove trees, plants and hedges harmful to the garden, dig drainage channels, build growing frames, and take away vegetation unsuitable for composting.
The harvest includes pumpkins, potatoes, silverbeet, carrots, broccoli, lettuce, cabbages, beans, and tomatoes.
Fertiliser, seedlings, and manure are all donated.
“Manure sourced from the Showgrounds Park and Event Centre has contributed greatly to the healthy and large growth of vegetables produced this season,” says Paul.
“The vast majority of the produce is given to the Salvation Army food bank with other produce given directly to elderly and needy families.”
Paul’s describes garden manager Dave Willis as a “walking encyclopaedia” on plants and gardening.
“He has integrated modern methods very successfully with techniques used years ago that have been all but forgotten. He is very passionate about his gardening and is only too willing to pass on his skills to other people.”