A Walker based charity is raising funds to convert a double decker bus into a community greenhouse. Building Futures East has had the old Stagecoach bus on its premises for eight years, and the charity is now looking to transform it into a place where it can grow fresh produce for local residents.
The plan is for volunteers to plant, grow, harvest and distribute the produce, whilst interacting with each other in a vibrant environment, that will be a mix of indoor and outdoor.
With the current Cost of Living crisis, residents of Walker are struggling to afford fresh, healthy food, and this project will allow people to maintain a nutritious diet, while also helping their own mental health by being sociable and growing connections with members of the community.
The interior of the bus will be transformed, with plans being discussed to put planters inside to grow various foods. The exterior will also look completely different, as local artists have been invited to contribute ideas to rejuvenate it.
In order to create this, which will also help raise awareness for charity and what it does for the community, funding needs to be acquired from the North of Tyne Combined Authority. This process has started, but Building Futures East needs crowdfunding money to prove it has financial backers on this project.
Dawn Emmerson is a senior work coach at Building Futures East, and she has spoken about why this kind of project is important and what the plans are currently.
"We are right on the river, in the ideal location to take part in gardening like this. Its great for the community to come down and be together as gardening is really social and people can learn as they go from the other people that are there.
"It was a volunteer from the lottery that came up with the idea, and we have been trying to make it happen ever since. If we are able to get enough in crowdfunding we may get chosen by the NTCA for funding which would be amazing.
"For me its about getting people down here and getting them interested in what we do. There are endless possibilities for what we can achieve with the local people's help. There are eight weeks left to crowdfund so we need all of the help that we can get."
To support Building Futures East's plan to convert bus into a community greenhouse, donate on their page here
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