RESIDENTS of St John’s braved the weather to enjoy a family event organised to celebrate a new children’s garden at Bromwich Road Mission Free Church.

The garden has been developed to allow safe outdoor play for a variety of local children who use the church, particularly those attending Sunbeams Pre-school and Little Sunbeams Baby and Toddler Group. 

County Councillor Alan Amos provided the funding for the project from his divisional fund and the work was undertaken by Lance Passey, a local landscape gardener. 

Mr. Passey, who lives in St. John’s, said that he had really enjoyed being part of the project and thanked the church for giving him the opportunity to put something back into his local community.

The garden was designed with sensory aspects in mind to ensure that it appealed to children with additional needs.  It also has a mud kitchen made by Ninevah Ridge Care Farm, a social enterprise which enables and supports adults with additional needs to develop skills.

Gavin Prosser, managing director of CAP Furnace Spares based on Weir Lane, brought along his wood-fired pizza oven and spent all day in the rain cooking pizzas for the event and for the Mission Church’s regular soup run to provide food to homeless people in Worcester city centre the same evening.

Anne Eyre, the organiser of the event said: “The garden and event both show what a community can achieve when it works together. 

"Despite the rain curtailing some of our plans, we raised over £200 and put on an enjoyable event for the families who came along.”

The money raised will help keep Little Sunbeams free for families to attend and to purchase some new plants for the garden.

Councillor Amos said: "I'm delighted to have funded this project from which so many children - and Mums and Dads - benefit both socially and educationally. It is a true community project with all the work and organisation being carried out by local volunteers. A huge thank you to the people involved."