Project Profile – The Vetch
Our roving volunteer Isabelle finds out what it is like volunteering at The Vetch .
I spent a Wednesday afternoon going out with Discovery to The Vetch, which is a community garden in the city centre, on the grounds of the old football stadium. I met the rest of the group at the Discovery Office on Singleton Campus and we all travelled by bus together to town (paid for by Discovery). Unfortunately, the weather has stopped me being able to go to the Vetch in previous weeks, but it finally cleared up so I was able to go!
The whole group were so friendly and welcoming, I instantly felt comfortable before even arriving, a feeling that continued when we got there and I met the rest of the team. The people who run the garden – Dawn, Duncan and others – were so lovely and welcoming. They said hello and hugged everyone, then offered us a drink. After I introduced myself Dawn was keen to tell me all about the garden and what they do. It is a garden built on the rubble of the old Swansea City Football stadium which is open for members of the community to have their own space, run by members of the community. The atmosphere was so nice, everyone was happy to be there, and happy to have us there, so it made volunteering so much more fun.
After a quick tour of the garden we got straight to work. We split up to work on different parts of the garden where we were needed, with some of the group building a greenhouse. I wasn’t afraid to get my hands dirty, so I helped to clear out some beds to make space for more things to be grown.
It was definitely dirty work, but it was so worth it. It was so nice to be able to chat to the other volunteers about why they were volunteering and just getting to chat about their lives in general. I think everyone agreed that being able to help others whilst also have a therapeutic escape is so amazing. It’s such a good escape from university work to be able to get some fresh air and exercise (who needs a gym when you’re shovelling soil!). I think that the idea of a community garden is so lovely, it is open and welcoming, and a safe space to let off some steam. The Vetch was so well organised, and every person I met so just so kind and friendly that I felt so at home there, it was such an enjoyable experience and extremely fulfilling.
