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Mousehold Hub CF
Hub garden revamped by Norwich church

A Norwich church has given the garden area of its community hub a makeover just in time for the reopening of the cafe at the weekend.
 


The outside space of the Mousehold Hub, which houses a community cafe in the Mousehold area of the city run by Norwich Central Baptist Church, has been transformed into a pleasant and tranquil oasis, featuring a pond, an arbour, climbing plants, a walled section and plenty of seating.

A team from the church, led by church member Philippa Baxter, spent many months during lockdown revamping the outside space. Philippa said, "As soon as I saw the space, I knew what I wanted to do there; I had a vision for how it could look and for the different ways it could be used.  My hope is that people will reflect on God's creation as they enjoy the plants and wildlife in the garden.  It's designed to be a place of peace and of prayer as well as somewhere to socialise and to get involved with growing things."

Just nine months ago, the garden was neglected. It was overgrown with trees and cluttered with broken brickwork and debris. The team spent weeks clearing old foliage, repairing the damaged wall, erecting a new fence, drilling out eight inches of concrete and digging out tree stumps.  Five tons of shingle were delivered and beds prepared for new plants and shrubs. Much of the work happened during lockdown, which posed the additional challenge of limited numbers and maintaining social distance. Philippa said, “It was good to work together in a team on something so positive during lockdown and to be able to develop relationships - in a socially distanced way of course!”
A short service of dedication was held on May 22 where members of the team wrote prayers on pebbles and laid them by the pond.

The Cafe @ The Hub is open on Saturdays from 10am – 4m serving hot and cold drinks, cakes and hot food. www.mouseholdhub.org

Helen Baldry, 24/05/2021

Helen Baldry
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