December 2024: Local park volunteer group, The Friends of Wharton Park, has been able to improve the gardening facilities for its disabled volunteers, thanks to a donation from local housebuilder, Barratt Homes North East.
The local volunteer group works to welcome visitors to Wharton Park and support events in the park, and maintain the community garden the group created. The garden’s aim is to encourage and inspire visitors through the power of horticulture, as well as ensuring that the garden has year-round interest and colour. Based on Framwellgate Peth, which is near to Barratt Homes’ Old Durham Gate development in Durham, the community garden within Wharton Park is a place for visitors to wander freely, sit and admire the planting, and acquire fresh garden produce in exchange for a small donation.
The majority of the £500 donation has gone towards a new Wheelchair Accessible VegTrug that will continue the volunteer group’s ongoing commitment to supporting wheelchair users and seated gardeners, ensuring they can work comfortably, as well as providing brand new pots and plants to refresh parts of the garden.
“As a local housebuilder, it’s important to us to contribute to local community groups in the areas where we build, especially when it benefits the wellbeing of local people and biodiversity of green spaces.
Speaking on the donation, Ashlea Wright, Sales Manager at Barratt Homes’ Old Durham Gate development
“Wharton Park, which is nearby to our Old Durham Gate development, is a fantastic amenity for new and existing residents, and we have been excited to show our support for the community garden team. We’re delighted to have been able to donate funds for new equipment that both visitors and volunteers of the community garden can benefit from.”
“We are very grateful to Barratt Homes for their generous donation to our community garden. Our disabled volunteers in particular are so grateful for the new VegTrug, which will hugely benefit their work in maintaining the garden. We also take great pride in the garden to ensure it is a welcoming space for visitors, and we’re sure the new pots and plants will give the garden the much-needed refresh it needs.”
Jill Hollingworth, Chair of Friends of Wharton Park
Barratt Homes’ Old Durham Gate development offers a collection of three, four and five bedroom homes which are ideally situated just two miles from Durham city centre. Set within 10 acres of green open space and scenic river walks on your doorstep, Old Durham Gate is surrounded by a host of local amenities. Prices for the homes currently available start from £279,995.
David Wilson Homes is also coming to Old Durham Gate, with its exclusive development launching in Spring 2025. For more information, please visit: www.dwh.co.uk/new-homes/dev002704-the-oval-at-old-durham-gate/
For more information on Old Durham Gate, please visit: www.barratthomes.co.uk/new-homes/dev002581-old-durham-gate/
For more information on Friends of Wharton Park, or to make a donation, please visit http://friendsofwhartonpark.org.uk/index.html
