Woodingford Raising Funds To Expand Accessibility Garden

Saturday, 30 May 2015 09:11

A fundraiser is being held to raise funds for an outdoor shed.

WOODSTOCK - With the help of numerous partners from around the area residents of Woodingford Lodge can now take advantage of a new Accessibility Garden. Equipped with a gazebo, benches and dozens of flowers the garden gives residents a space that can be enjoyed inside or out; as it surrounds 4 dining rooms. Director of Woodingford Lodge Corrie Fransen explained how the garden was started, "It came to be, actually by one of our recreation aids, Jennifer Beatty, seeing the need. She involved the horticultural society and a number of volunteers and it was just an area that dining rooms overlooked, and it was very bare. Jennifer saw the potential for the garden as a tranquil space for the residents.”

Although it may have been built last year more additions are needed which led to a fundraiser where you and three others could win a dinner in the gazebo of the park with dinner prepared by a private chef. Director of Woodingford Lodge Corrie Fransen said, "Just a couple of weeks ago we had a team of volunteers here as well as volunteer students and the residents some came out and watched us some through the window and again giving us pointers. It helped them reminisce of the plants that they had when they had their large gardens and farms and homes."

Fransen outlines what still needs to be purchased and what the special evening will include. "We're going to have tickets to have a meal for 4 under the gazebo and we're hoping to fundraise and again to enhance the flowers we need a shed to store all of the tools. There is always room for more when you have a garden, and I think what is very important is that a garden represents life and being apart of a community."

Assistant Supervisor of Food Services at Woodingford Lodge, Robert Targaszewski, who will also preparing the meal, is hopeful the participants will enjoy and that this will become an annual event. Tickets will be going on sale on June 1st