Rt Hon Sir George Young MP Officially Opens Enham Alamein Community Garden

- Post Office, Enham Trust, Parish Council and Aster Communities unite in community spirit to open new garden on Saturday 24th May
- Guest of honour Rt Hon Sir George Young MP to perform opening ceremony
- Local residents invited to celebrate

Rt Hon Sir George Young MP officially opened a new community garden for the local residents of Enham Alamein on Saturday 24^th May at 1pm. Residents were invited to take a closer look at the new space located behind the White House Surgery and celebrate the opening.

Thanks to a grant from the Post Office Community Enterprise Fund, sub postmistress Leslie Barry joined forces with disability charity, Enham Trust, and Enham Alamein Parish Council to transform the unused space into a picturesque community retreat, fully accessible to wheelchair gardeners.

Local villagers and school children will grow flowers, fruit and vegetables in the garden and learn about healthy eating, while the garden’s accessible raised beds will enable residents of the Enham Trust to develop their gardening skills. Fruit and vegetables grown in the garden will be sold in Enham Alamein Post Office and used in the Enham Trust’s kitchens. All local residents are welcome to enjoy the picturesque garden at their leisure.

Rt Hon Sir George Young MP, said:

“It is wonderful to see the community coming together in this way to support one another and improve local facilities. Enham Trust is a fantastic charity and I think this garden will prove invaluable to the whole village. The Post Office holds an important place in our community and I congratulate subpostmistress Leslie on her hard work.”

Leslie Barry, sub postmistress of Enham Alamein Post Office, said:

“We have been working together on our Community Enterprise project for months and we are all so excited that it is finally coming to life. We can’t wait to show off the new facilities and are excited to continue to work together and integrate our village in this way. I would like to thank Sir George for joining us, as well as everyone from the Enham Trust, Parish Council, Test Valley Borough Council and Aster Communities for their support. A special thanks to Post Office too, as without the Community Enterprise grant none of this would have been possible.”

Peta Wilkinson, CEO of Enham Trust commented:

“This has been a great collaborative project. It’s so important that our clients are welcomed and active within the community where they live, and importantly there is full access for those who use wheelchairs. This beautiful garden is accessible to everyone.”

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For more information please contact:
Ellie Austin
Tel: 0207 0123 107
Email: ellie.b.austin@postoffice.co.uk

Enham Alamein Post Office is one of 25 Post Office branches across England chosen as recipients of a grant worth up to £10,000 from the Community Enterprise Fund for their outstanding plans to support local people and businesses, and to tackle social isolation.

Other schemes include providing free Wi-Fi access and IT training, and the creation of a walled garden where disabled community members can develop gardening skills. All of the schemes are not-for-profit, but which provide a service or activity which is easily accessible and open to all.

Over 99% of the population live within three miles of a Post Office, and so the Post Office is uniquely placed to support communities. In many communities across England, particularly those which are more rural, subpostmasters in Post Office branches already play an important role and go the extra mile to get involved in local activities and services.