Cultivate4Life

Cultivate 4 Life aims to support the young people and adults of Bishop Auckland and surrounding areas, with their current circumstances and needs, providing a holistic horticultural working environment and one to one support; together aid the community they are part of.

We are passionate about helping young people and adults make positive changes in their lives as these are their…

“footsteps to a brighter future”

Cultivate4Life is an allotment-based project that uses horticultural therapy to get people’s lives back on track. Located on the Woodhouse Close Allotments site, Cultivate4Life has two allotments on which gardening activities take place. It is one of the projects that forms part of the Bishop Auckland Community Partnership, which is based in the 4 Clocks Community Centre.

Key aims of the project are to:

• Use horticultural activities to support people in gaining confidence and skills to improve their quality of life.
• Provide training and experience in horticultural and woodworking skills.
• Provide support and advice to those who have difficulty in accessing the available social services.
• Give people a safe and supportive environment in which to address quality of life issues.

In addition to growing flowers and vegetables, Cultivate4Life also provides a community gardening service. During 2023 Believe Housing awarded the project a grant to:

• Replace 3 main sheds with new ones – built by Cornerstone, the homeless charity at their carpentry shop in Willington.
• Replace two polytunnels.
• Purchase a new greenhouse
• Pay for a part-time Co-ordinator for a year.

Believe Housing were very interested in our community gardening service and referred some tenants to us. At the end of the year during which we were monitored, just under 40% of the residents using the community gardening service were Believe Housing tenants.

At the conclusion of the Believe Housing initiative, they estimated that for every pound we received in grant money, £2.42 was generated in the social value of the work we did. We continue to support Believe Housing tenants referred to us for the community gardening service.

The service is paid for from donations that residents pay, once we complete the work required. We don’t charge a fee: it is a donation that the resident can afford.

Cultivate4Life is solely dependent on donations and grants to support its activities.

If you would like any further information, contact Nigel Bryson via the 4 Clocks reception desk.