New Greenhouse Is Blooming Marvellous Addition For Stirling Customers

Blackwood Press releases

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A Stirling housing development that saw its beloved greenhouse destroyed beyond repair by gale force winds last year has now installed a brand new model, thanks to generous donations of over £2000.

Blackwood’s Broom Court development, which provides integrated accommodation for people with physical disabilities, held a special ribbon-cutting celebration followed by an afternoon tea party to mark the official opening of the upgraded, fully accessible greenhouse.

The majority of the total £2000 was raised by dedicated Blackwood employee Jenny Gardner, who sold jars of jam for the cause, the ingredients for which she took the time to hand-forage herself.

The jam proved to be a huge hit and went down a treat with Blackwood employees across the region, with more than 350 jars sold in just a few months.

The remainder of the funds were kindly donated by Dobbie’s Garden Centre, the local Orange Lodge and a small private trust fund and raised through the Blackwood Christmas raffle.

Jenny Gardner said: “The greenhouse was such a fantastic addition to Broom Court as it kept the tenants busy and allowed them to grow their own nutritious vegetables.

“When it was destroyed and I saw how devastated everyone was, I knew I wanted to raise money to fund a new one, and what better way than by selling delicious homemade jam. After all, who doesn’t like jam!

“We are very grateful to all those who kindly contributed towards the cause. Thanks to everyone pitching in, we have now been able to go above and beyond for the customers at Broom Court and they are absolutely delighted with the new greenhouse and exciting to get back to gardening again.”

Edinburgh-based charity, Blackwood, has more than 1500 homes throughout the country making it a leader in helping those who are disabled, elderly or with sensory impairments to live more independently.

As it works in 29 of Scotland’s 32 local authorities, it is more widely dispersed than most other care or housing providers and has embraced the challenges of taking housing and care into innovative areas at a time when funding is increasingly limited.

Blackwood is also renowned for constantly pushing the boundaries of technology to allow property adaptions which make a huge difference to people with disabilities.

In September, Blackwood was praised for its forward-thinking annual exhibition at ‘Our Dynamic Earth’ in Edinburgh, where it built a full scale, walk-through model of its dynamic concept house in just 24 hours.