Growing Together Levenshulme is a community group of around 100 asylum seekers and refugees centred around a community allotment affectionately known as ‘The Garden’. They provide therapeutic gardening sessions, providing a calm and relaxing space for group members to grow food, learn and share new skills, and support each other through the stresses and difficulties of seeking asylum in the UK. The group provides three gardening sessions a week, as well as fortnightly Zoom sessions from the Garden so that members who are not comfortable travelling can see their garden, offer advice on nurturing their favourite crops and connect with each other. This, along with a group WhatsApp, allows members to share photographs, knowledge, and generally keep members spirits up. Growing Together Levenshulme also provides emotional and crisis support in person at The Garden and over the phone. This includes supporting basic needs (such as referral to foodbanks), but also specialist support such as counselling, legal advice and emergency housing. As well as cooking their own food produce and sharing regular meals together, the group also runs ‘giving back projects’ where they help renovate community green spaces or outside areas of organisations that have welcomed or supported their members. Growing Together Levenshulme helps people support themselves in the long-term – developing transferable skills, whilst reducing isolation and improving mental and physical health. Not to mention the networks of community and peer support facilitated through the friendships formed, which extend well beyond the allotment. It is always worth remembering that, if you support Forever Manchester, you support all this. The ability of local community groups and organisations to best help people in their community remains dependant on maintaining support for them. To find out more about how you can get support Forever Manchester please email us at marketing@forevermanchester.com or telephone on 0161 214 0940.
