Toyota funding helps homelessness project participants go green

A funding boost from Toyota Manufacturing UK’s Charitable Trust is helping participants in a Derventio Housing Trust homelessness project grow vegetables.

The funding has paid for new raised vegetable beds at the trust’s Growing Lives day centre in Ilkeston.

Project participants have used the funds to build the wooden structures, which will soon be full of vegetables such as brussels sprouts, runner beans, carrots, lettuces and broad beans.

They hope to expand their existing vegetable patch to grow enough produce to cook nutritious meals at the centre.

Derventio Housing Trust provides accommodation in five UK counties to around 1,200 people a year who would otherwise be homeless.

Its Growing Lives centre at Cotmanhay is attended by residents along with others referred through drug and alcohol recovery services.

It offers a range of activities including gardening, bicycle maintenance, a workshop, crafts, cooking and walks.

Many participants have been through tough times in their lives, losing families and other valued relationships along with their homes, and say they find being in the garden and growing things extremely beneficial for their mental health.

Over the years participants have worked hard in the garden and today it is a beautiful space with a greenhouse, vegetable patches, pond, flowers and calm areas to sit in peace.

Since it started in 1992, Toyota Manufacturing UK has contributed to a variety of local community causes – with more than £8.5 million donated to charities and organisations in and around its Burnaston and Deeside plants.

This year Derventio benefited in a share of £405,000 donated to local organisations, making a huge difference to the lives of local people.

Richard Finchett, trustee and Toyota Manufacturing UK deputy managing director, said: “We are extremely proud to support some amazing causes, including Derventio Housing Trust’s Growing Lives project, a fantastic activity making a difference in our local communities.”

Sarah Hernandez, managing director of Derventio Housing Trust, said: “We are very proud of our Growing Lives project and the huge benefits it brings to residents and others referred to our service.

“It’s well known that getting stuck into practical tasks like gardening can be very beneficial for mental health and being out in nature has so many proven benefits.

“Growing our own fruit and vegetables is clearly a great thing to do for wellbeing and nutritional benefit too.

“We are delighted to have been given funding through Toyota to pay for these raised beds and we know how much they are already being used and valued.”