Liberty installs kitchen at community garden project in Salford

Property services business Liberty has donated and installed a new kitchen free of charge as part of its social value commitments at Cleavley Community Forest Garden in Eccles for client, ForHousing.

Liberty’s meticulous approach began with a site visit to Cleavley Community Forest Garden in December 2023. The team measured up for the kitchen and successfully fitted three double base units and four double wall units in one part of the building. Additionally, six double wall units were installed in the workshop area. An under-sink boiler/water heater was also installed to enhance the facilities and save space in the unit. In total, the donation of materials and labour was valued at over £3,000.

Liberty has supported Cleavley Community Forest Garden for over three years and has previously donated over 100 hours and over £15,000 to help build the group’s services. This has included delivery of building materials and supplying water and electricity to the Ivy Den Café and Garden Shop.

This support has helped the charity to play a vital role in the local community, providing services to primary schools, special educational schools, and delivering initiatives promoting health and wellbeing.

The new kitchen paves the way for the launch of a community repair café, planned to open in March 2024, where community members will be able to bring in damaged items for repair and enjoy a hot drink while their belongings are fixed.

Nicola Gregory, Senior Liaison & Project Manager at Liberty, said: “It has been a pleasure to support Cleavley Community Forest Garden over the last year. The kitchen facilities installed are excellent and it will add lots of benefits to the local people and schools who come to visit. The community group is an incredible asset to residents of Eccles and the wider Salford area.”

Ian Bocock, Director and Education Lead at Cleavley Community Forest Garden, expressed his gratitude, saying: “I wanted to say a big thank you to everyone involved in supporting us to achieve the kitchen units and plumbing. This help has transformed the workshop and gives us great confidence in what we can offer to our local community in terms of the services that we can now provide. Thank you.”

Nigel Sedman, Executive Director of Homes at ForHousing said: “We are committed to making a positive impact on the lives of our tenants and giving back to the communities we serve in.

“The Cleavley Community Forest Garden is a huge asset to the local community, and we are proud to support it.

“It is fantastic to see how the project is going from strength to strength. The new kitchen generously donated by Liberty is a great addition to the project’s facilities that will help it better serve more local people than ever.”

Liberty is committed to supporting community-focused projects for its clients. This success story showcases the positive impact that projects like these can have on the lives of our customers and the wider community.