NHS Ayrshire & Arran is working with local and national suppliers using the NHS Scotland Community Benefit Gateway portal.
The portal is designed to maximise community and business benefits through procurement to achieve greater economic, social and environmental benefits for those living in Ayrshire and Arran.
Through this programme, two local community groups are now enjoying the rewards of their applications to the NHS Scotland Community Benefit Gateway portal for assistance to develop community gardens.
HP Inc. is a provider for Scottish Government Framework for provision of laptops, desktops PCs and monitors to NHS Scotland.
They worked with RePollinate, a conservation charity which aims to create networks of high-quality pollinator habitats, to deliver new community gardens spaces for:
- St Ninian’s Episcopal Church, Troon
- North Ayrshire Forum on Disability, Saltcoats
St Ninian’s Episcopal Church community garden
St Ninian’s Episcopal Church in Troon applied to the NHS Scotland Community Benefit Gateway for help and assistance to create a new community garden. The garden is intended for use by the church congregation and many community groups based at the church.
Their request was answered by HP Inc., with the community garden at St Ninian’s Episcopal Church in Troon formally opened on 14 May 2024.
The garden provides the church congregation and local community groups with a new space which includes:
- accessible pathways
- outdoor seating
- raised planting beds
- a herb garden
- gardening equipment
- garden storage
- a composting system
The project will enable church community groups to grow food to be used by the community.
It also enhances the church grounds with wildlife-friendly shrubs and wildflowers, helping to improve the biodiversity of the church garden attracting pollinating insects.
Provision of new gardening equipment will enable community groups to care for and maintain the new garden.
North Ayrshire Forum on Disability’s new accessible outdoor garden space
North Ayrshire Forum on Disability applied to the Community Benefit Gateway for assistance in refurbishment of their outdoor garden space into a new fully accessible community garden for elderly and disabled users.
Before the project, the charity’s garden space was run down, neglected and not usable for those with mobility issues and disabilities.
Following discussion with NHS Ayrshire & Arran, HP Inc. worked with RePollinate, North Ayrshire Forum on Disability and its users to design and develop a new fully accessible outdoor garden.
The new accessible outdoor garden space opened on 30 May 2024, providing a totally refurbished accessible community garden.
The garden area has been relaid with easy paving, enabling access for people with mobility issues, including wheelchair users.
The design incorporates high raised planter beds and seating. This allows ease of use by disabled users, enabling participation in:
- outdoor activities
- outdoor client consultations
- garden therapy
