Loughborough community growing project welcomes Stonewater Chief Executive

The visit took place early April at Warwick Way, which is a part of the Three Closes community where customers have created and maintained shared growing areas with support from Stonewater. Jonathan was joined by customers, colleagues and local partners to hear first-hand how the project has developed and the impact it is having locally.

As part of Stonewater’s neighbourhood approach, Warwick Way was one of nine areas selected to receive funding through a donation to the Three Closes Residents Association, which supports the local community.

The funding has helped strengthen relationships and supported customers to shape the spaces around them, including ongoing work with Incredible Edible Loughborough. The voluntary group has been active at Warwick Way for the past three years, working alongside residents to maintain shared growing spaces where fruit and vegetables are cultivated and made freely available to the community.

Helen Holland, Connected Communities Peer Leader at Stonewater, said “This support came directly from listening to customers about what would make a real difference at Warwick Way. Through our locality neighbourhood approach, we can work more closely with customers to tailor shared spaces and strengthen communities.

“The project between the Residents Association and Incredible Edible is a great example of how pride can be created in local spaces while helping communities thrive and we’re delighted to play a part in helping this neighbourhood grow”.

Stonewater’s donation has helped pay for water butts, raised beds, compost bins and litter picking equipment. Some of the raised beds have been designed to be accessible, ensuring more customers can get involved. The group has already been harvesting produce including beetroot, runner beans and soft fruit, with plans to grow more as the seasons change.

The residents group said: "Stonewater is brilliant – the donation of compost bins and water butts will help people to make the most of resources for growing their fruit, vegetables and plants...this has and will help the community a lot!"

The donation was offered following a community day hosted at Warwick Way, run by Stonewater colleagues alongside local partners.

Additionally, a walkabout of the estate was carried out with customers, colleagues and contractors to establish the changes that Warwick Way residents would like to implement.

Stonewater worked with local contractors including Ian Williams, Pinnacle and Bell Group to deliver the donation. The contributions helped enhance the appearance of communal areas and supported customers to take ownership of the spaces around their homes.

Up to ten customers meet regularly for coffee mornings, forming a core group passion centred around making the neighbourhood inclusive and welcoming for everyone.

Stonewater is continuing to support the group with new coffee and kitchen equipment and hopes to see even more customers get involved in the months ahead.