A GROUP of volunteers planted a garden in the car park of a former office building converted into an adult social care facility in Kendal.

Gateway Church set up an event, called Give A Day, where members volunteer for projects to give something back to the community.  

Eskdale House is run by Independence Support Living (ISL), which only took ownership of the Shap Road facility in April. A section of the former DWP building was converted into rooms for adults requiring care support prior. 

However, the outdoor area for residents was still mostly a car park. Councillor for Kendal Nether Shirley Evans came to the facility and said that she wanted to help.

She told the church, and The Give a Day volunteers decided it was time to introduce plant beds and outdoor amenities to turn it into a space for the residents to enjoy. 

Support worker Karen Dunnield said: "The councillor came and saw what we were doing here and asked if we needed any help because we're relatively new and we've done nothing with the outside.

"It's for our clients really. The planters are being made at a certain level so they're raised so that we can grow food."

Tracy Parker, from ISL, said: "As well as a great group activity for their physical and mental health, it means a lot to all of them." 

Councillor Evans said: "I visited ISL in August and I was so impressed by the excellent quality of the accommodation on offer to support some of our most vulnerable young people.

"What really blew me away was the amazing level of care and commitment shown by the staff, who are determined that the young people in their care will have the very best lives they can.

"They mentioned that they had a long term ambition to turn some of the hard standing at the back of the building into a vegetable garden. This would give the young people an outside space they could all enjoy and contribute to."

The reverend Jonny Gios said: "It is really humbling to see many local businesses donate to this project and also national tier 1 firms send employees from across the UK. Ben is a supervisor with Octavius and has come as far as Portsmouth to be with us this week. I am delighted with the outcome of this project and really hope that we can do something similar next year in the town."