Plymouth Community Homes News Issue 13 (1.3mb)

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Morley Court honoured
at Plymouth in Bloom
A pensioner who has been turning her home into an urban
beauty spot has scooped three awards at Plymouth in Bloom.
Brenda Burns, of Morley Court, has been
decorating her flat and nearby communal
areas for the past four years with hanging
baskets, window boxes and containers
brimming with colourful flowers.
This year she was pleased to once again
be honoured at the city council’s awards
to recognise to achievements of the green
fingered in brightening up their community,
this year taking the Gold Award for Best
Window Box, the Silver for Best Container
Display and a Highly Commended in the
Best Hanging Baskets category.
Brenda, 69, said: “I was delighted to get my
awards from the mayor but really I just love
what I do. I’d like to turn the place into a
Swiss chalet with flowers everywhere.
I really enjoy it and I like to cheer the
place up.
“People really like the display. My
neighbours who look out onto the
flowers say it’s lovely to look at and
they really appreciate how it brightens
up their view.
Other neighbours at Morley Court
are beginning to take a leaf out of
Brenda’s book, introducing their
own window boxes and containers
to turn the place into a vision of
colour in the middle of the city.
Brenda said: “We are a little island
as we are sandwiched in between busy
roads, but the flowers have cheered up
the buildings and people passing by do
stop and say how lovely it looks.”
Brenda was not the only winner as
the rooftop garden at Morley Court took
five awards.
Graham Smith, of the Morley Court
Residents Association, who helps Brenda
with some of the manual work involved,
said: “Morley Court is very pleased to be
recognised and everyone is delighted with
the work Brenda does and pleased she
has been honoured for it.”
Brenda and Graham with
her winning cup!
“My neighbours say
it’s lovely to look at
and they really
appreciate how it
brightens up
their view.”
Gardens transformed
thanks to rangers
Neighbourhood rangers have been
hard at work improving the gardens
of hundreds of residents.
The assisted gardens service we run has
come in-house, having previously been
carried out by the city council.
The assisted gardens service is for people
who are elderly and disabled and unable
to tend to their gardens effectively.
Residents make a small payment which
entitles their garden to be tended
throughout the year.
Kevin Perry, Head of Environmental Services,
said: “The difference the team has made
already is incredible. We have had a good
response from residents.
“It’s great to see the difference it has made
to some gardens. In some places, brambles
have grown to such an extent that people
have lost nearly a third of their garden space.
“The scheme is a great way for us to
support people who are less able to care
for their gardens.”
Thelma Stephens is one of the tenants
who uses the service. She said: “The work
the rangers did is brilliant. Nothing was too
much trouble. They mowed the lawn and
trimmed the corners and picked up all the
mess. They were really lovely people.”
On 1 November, the Environmental Services
team took over the running of the grounds
maintenance contract, which was also carried
out by the council.