Local community group Men in Sheds Okehampton has been instrumental in helping the Gilead Foundations’ horticulture project, which provides women in need with a gardening experience.

The group of retired men has volunteered at Gilead once a week and has helped Gilead women build four compost bays and raise beds in the polytunnel. It is currently creating planters to be filled with wildlife friendly plants.

Brandon Francis, a member of Men in Sheds said: ‘ We’ve been up there for the last four to six weeks and we’ve been working in the garden building equipment, helping to encourage the ladies, allow them all to start growing plants. For example, some of the women have bad backs so we’ve given them taller garden tools so they don’t need to bend over.

‘We feel like we’ve given something back. They [Gilead] want to be self-sufficient and if we can do anything to help that happen we will. There’s talk that we might help build a new patio area.’

Gilead says that Men in Sheds will be invaluable in developing the outside allotment area the women’s centre is planning on creating.

Gilead set up the horticulture project 18 months ago with funding from the European Social Fund, Europe’s main organisation for job support and skill building, working with Petroc College, which has campuses in Barnstaple and Tiverton, with the aim of improving the mental and physical wellbeing of the women it helps. The project has proved to be a success.

Joanna Morgan, fundraising and marketing manager, said: ‘It has proved to be a great training ground for the women we help, many of whom are excited about having a go at growing their own vegetables in the future.

‘We are also working towards our vision to become self-sufficient, and environment led by growing seasonal veg and through the use of ‘no dig’ principles, harvesting rain water, the use of companion planting and bio controls rather than pesticides and using organic rather than chemical fertilisers.’

Gilead are now looking to expand the horticulture project by building an outside community space in the garden as part of the allotment which can be covered to protect people from the sun and rain.

Ms Morgan said she hoped the area would be used for ‘personal contemplation and tranquillity and for horticulture classes.’ The centre also hope that the space could be used by residents and family members to spend time together and as a meeting and dining place for residents, visitors and volunteers.

The centre hopes to complete the work by summer next year depending on funding.

Gilead Foundations is a Devon-based women’s centre which provides a supported living service for women struggling with a range of issues including addiction, anxiety, homelessness and domestic abuse. The centre offers residents help in developing self-discipline, good work ethics and creating a healthy lifestyle through individual and group support and work experience. This might include kitchen and domestic work and a variety of agricultural work such as animal husbandry, gardening and general farm maintenance

To volunteer at the centre call 01837 851240 or email [email protected].