Christine Sherburne has created an important green space for her community to meet and get in touch with each other
Submitted by Eden Project Communities
Christine Sherburne, 65, is making a difference to people who are lonely and isolated in Salford, Greater Manchester by providing a new, vital green space for people to meet and network.
People in her community can now enjoy time together after Christine said she was “called into action” to reduce the loneliness and social isolation crisis in their area at an inspiring Eden Project Community Camp.
Research by the Eden Project Communities in June this year found that more than one in ten (11.2 percent) of the UK population feels lonely often or always. However, people wanted to be more involved in their place of residence even during the pandemic. Research earlier this year found that nearly half of people (45 percent) want to do more for their local community than they do now.
Realizing that the surge in community spirit is waning at the start of the pandemic, the Eden Project community camp organizers want to support people who now see the value of the neighborhood and want to do more.
Christine, who attended Community Camp at the Eden Project in Cornwall in September 2019, said: “Visiting the camp gave me so much confidence. I had just retired and had more time and realized how quickly people can become isolated.
“Then the pandemic happened and it made clear the need for us to be connected at the local level. Some people had lived here for 30 years and had never spoken to each other. Now we talk all the time, people help each other and all the kids play together. We are a rock solid community. “
Christine is now calling on other people to follow in their footsteps and see what they could achieve by participating in a virtual version of the Community Camp, designed to support anyone who wants to do positive things where they live .
After attending the Eden Project Community Camp, Christine organized a socially distant street party on VE Day to connect the people who lived on her street during the pandemic.
To bring some greenery to the area, the retired secondary school teacher rejuvenated the alley behind her street to ensure the kids had a safe place to socialize and play while they couldn’t venture any further during the lockdown.
Christine tidied up and tidied up the disused space, added refurbished benches and a donated Wendy house, and planted flowers and vegetables in recycled flower pots. As the project gained momentum, other neighbors teamed up to support the initiative by donating Christine funds to preserve the space, donate more plants, and enjoy outdoor barbecues and gatherings together.
The project not only created a recreational area, it also brought remarkable educational and environmental benefits. Children help with sowing and planting, learn more about the origin of their food and sell vegetables with the products they grow.
Christine said, “Of all the things I’ve done, I’m really proud of it. It was my drive to bring people together and now I feel like I have a family here. It might not sound like a big deal, but it’s amazing what positivity can do – now kids come up to me asking if they can pick our vegetables or help me plant new seeds.
She continued, “I’ve heard of all of these wonderful people doing amazing things at camp and that has given me the confidence to do a lot of what I’ve done. I have so many ideas and it took away that feeling of trepidation. Whatever it is, if you start small, keep the faith and hold on to it, it will grow. “
The Community Camp takes place on October 1st and 2nd and is open to anyone starting their community journey. With interactive sessions, hands-on activities, networking opportunities, and inspirational speakers, the free two-day online learning experience is designed to provide a valuable foundation for people looking to explore their potential to make a positive difference where they live.
Participants will have the opportunity to delve deeper into topics such as building trust, recognizing and expanding skills, connecting with local networks and identifying resources, as well as meeting like-minded people and sharing ideas with which they have the potential to become a permanent peer. Network.
Tracey Robbins, Eden Project Communities UK Delivery Leader, said, “Christine is just one of 1,600 community-minded people who have been inspired to start more than 1,000 initiatives in our camps over the years. It is evidence of the idea that anyone can help their community thrive by just taking the important first step of exploring their ideas.
“For many of us across the country, the pandemic resulted in spending more time with our neighbors and local communities than ever before, but we also felt more lonely and isolated.
“That’s why we like to welcome people to the camp who want to expand their connections, whether it’s hosting online coffee mornings during the pandemic, starting a neighborhood contact group or even attending your first big lunch.”
Community Camp is a brainchild of Eden Project Communities, who also host The Big Lunch, the UK’s annual big date, to celebrate and thank our neighbors and communities.
It was launched in 2009 and is an idea of the Eden Project, which brings six million people together every year, made possible by The National Lottery and supported by Island and The Food Warehouse. In 2022, The Big Lunch will be part of Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Anniversary celebrations.
Further information on registering for the Community Camp can be found here.