Gardening and football kick off conversations across the generations in Chester

Sept. 27, 2012 - PRLog -- Residents at Care UK’s Pinetum home in Chester have been enjoying a newly renovated garden thanks to the efforts of Blacon under-16 football team, who wanted to organise a sponsored gardening event to raise funds for new kits.

The football team contacted the home and offered to carry out work to help the residents, many of who have profound mobility issues, gain as much enjoyment from the gardens as possible.

After making some plans with the home’s Activities Co-ordinator Adele Elliott, the young footballers visited the home, in Valley Drive, to get stuck in to the garden and spend time meeting some of Pinetum’s residents.

Adele said: “It was a real pleasure seeing the two very different generations finding common ground to talk about in football and the garden. The lads were all brilliant and made really fast work of tidying the top garden. They also dug two new beds alongside the path in which we will plant aromatic herbs for the residents to enjoy as they brush past.”

The team will be back regularly to help paint the plant boxes and to help keep the top garden in pristine condition for all who use the home.

Kieran Spain, Blacon F.C. Youth Manager u16s, said: “I was extremely proud of my team, which made the residents’ garden at Pinetum care home more accessible, so it can now be enjoyed by residents and their families. We hope they enjoy it as much as we enjoyed doing it.”

The team also used the good deed to raise money for their club by being sponsored to carry out the gardening by friends, family and supporters. Kieran said: “The team raised a fantastic £357, which will help immensely, from sports kit to transport and we, as a team, would like to take this opportunity to thank Adele for her help in organising this project. We are so grateful to feel we made a difference whilst raising money for our football team.”

Adele said: “Everyone is looking forward to seeing the team again and both the staff and residents at Pinetum want to say a big thank you to Blacon FC.”