A once-plain patch of grass at St Augustine’s Church in Norwich has been transformed into a vibrant community garden, thanks to the efforts of local social enterprise Rippleacts and its dedicated participants.
Over the past eight weeks, the participants have worked alongside their project leader, Paula Coombe, to transform and renew the plain patch of grass into a vibrant and inspiring space.
The project, which has been called ‘the highlight of the summer’ by St Augustine’s Church, has created a vibrant and beautiful space for the whole community to enjoy.
The garden now includes a variety of flowers, including those kindly donated by Notcutts Garden Centre in Norwich, and wildlife friendly features such as bee boxes and a ‘dead hedge’ to provide nesting and foraging space for birds. In addition, the team has also added a herb and vegetable garden and a new contemplative meditation space, called the ‘Circle of Inspiration’ for everyone in the local area to enjoy.
Judy from St Augustine’s Church said ‘The Rippleacts volunteers have done an amazing transformation of our bedraggled church garden. They were lovely people & we thoroughly enjoyed having them there. What they have done will be enjoyed by church members & the local community, particularly as they don’t have gardens of their own.’
Founded in 2022 by Dr Verena Niyadurupola, Rippleacts supports those who are long term unemployed through a combination of cognitive behavioural coaching and projects which benefit the local community. The projects, which are practical in nature, create a ‘ripple effect’, inspiring positive change, resilience and confidence in the participants whilst also creating a positive impact to the local community. One of the participants who took part in the project said: “We share this space with them and it is lovely to feel a sense of ownership of this project, after completing it.”
The completion of the project comes at the same time that Rippleacts celebrates the publication of its first ever impact report. Thanks to its unique and holistic approach, the social enterprise has helped 74% of its participants back into volunteering, education or employment, and helped 93% of their participants make a positive change in their own lives.
Rippleacts’ innovative coaching programme is also available to local businesses and nonprofits, offering a tailored approach to upskilling and team development or to support their own service users.
For more information on Rippleacts and for their latest impact report, go to their website.