Bridge Foyer Garden
21/07/2009
Bridge Foyer's Housing Support Officer, Andy Edwards, swapped his desk for his hard hat and, armed with tips from the internet, became the driving force behind the makeover at Bridge Foyer.
The official opening was carried out by former Lord Mayoer of Chester, College Ward Councillor Sandra Rudd, who said: "residents were at the very heart of the project and the grand opening of the Bridge Foyer garden saw the culmination of a month's hard work by the Bridge Foyer's very own 'Groundforce team' who transformed a neglected parking lot into a stylish, peaceful, plant filled garden with low lighting and seating areas overlookign the canal."
All 31 Bridge Foyer residents have their own private, self contained accommodation and a group of them decided to create an outdoor area where they could sit and relax over the summer months.
Together with Foyer staff they drew up plans, successfully applied to the Prince's Trust for funding and with the help fo kind donations from B&Q Chester, began work on site by lifting old paving slabs, clearning dead trees and filling a large skip with a mountain of rubble.
Bridge Foyer Manager, Amanda Ellwood said: "Each day saw a new addition to the garden, as it changed from a concrete jungle, to a building site, adn finally to a space to be proud of. I have worked here for almost seven years and today is one of the proudest days for me. We've worked hard as a teamand created a lovely, peaceful place for the young people who live here to enjoy."