Ideal for All – Barlow Road Community Garden

Ideal for All is a user-led registered charity and social enterprise working to make life better for disabled, elderly and vulnerable people and their carers.

We are a Sandwell’s longest established and largest fully working Community Market Garden which grows fruit and veg and supports people to make friends and learn new things. You will have a go at growing and cooking with us. Expect to get ‘hands on’ and experience food growing, picking and tasting together. No experience needed.

Our fun, family friendly sessions are great for all ages. No experience needed, all family members and carers welcome, fully accessible to a range of abilities. (Children must be accompanied by a supervising adult)

Our vision

To empower and enable disabled and disadvantaged people and their families carers support workers and local communities regardless of age or background to fulfil their potential as active citizens and fully participate in society and the neighbourhoods in which they live.

4-16 (up to 19 SEND)

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Please await your 16-digit code, this will be distributed by schools in the form of an email or text. Please only enter the HAF Pincode if applicable.

What activities are on offer?

Welly to Belly ‘hands on’ food growing, healthy cooking and fun activity enables children, young people and families via holistic approaches and family learning sessions maximising talent, building on/developing ‘skills for life’, delivering positive healthy lifestyle and discreet 5 ways to wellbeing.

Seed to plate ethos, food is integral part of delivery and participants will have not only the opportunity to prepare, cook and eat hot nutritious meal together but also the chance to sow, plant, grow/ harvest local produce – learning where food comes from and how to use it. We will provide an equivalent at Barlow Road as no oven still. We do have party pans and induction hobs though so will adapt recipes to suit

Explore the garden, get active, hunt for wildlife, get messy, access outdoor enriching learning, and more importantly play at our Market Gardens.

Specialist horticultural therapy team, activities and site are unique having been co-developed with diverse needs in mind.

Friendly ‘experts by experience’ in supporting a range of needs including hidden disability and Autistic spectrum/sensory and learning disabilities. We adapt to you, overcoming barriers to inclusion (range of accessible tools/ approaches available). Gardening indoors and outdoors, nothing stops us, enjoy the puddles in the rain “in your wellies or wheels”.
What makes this activity unique?

We are a Sandwell’s longest established and largest fully working Community Market Garden which grows fruit and veg and supports people to make friends and learn new things. You will have a go at growing and cooking with us. Expect to get ‘hands on’ and experience food growing, picking and tasting together. No experience needed.

Based in Sandwell, our team deliver services across the West Midlands and neighbouring regions. We are an award-winning provider of person-centred services that achieve positive outcomes for people in terms of improvements in mental and physical health and wellbeing, reduced isolation, improved knowledge, skills and opportunities, employability, and increased independence.

Our Vision

To empower and enable disabled and disadvantaged people and their families, carers, support workers and local communities, regardless of age, or background to fulfil their potential as active citizens and fully participate in society and the neighbourhoods in which they live.
What benefits can you expect from this?

Born out of partnership with the local authority and Public Health and continued development since this time. Deliver interlinked outcomes and impact contributing specifically to overcoming barriers towards a stronger Sandwell.

Sessions are free (gardening, cooking, moving through outdoor play) and people take home everything they make.

Demonstrating where to get started no matter what size of garden of experience, e.g. getting started with windowsill box. Sessions are a great place to start and get whole family involved!

Nutritional education embedded providing ‘hands on’ opportunities to develop positive healthy lifestyle/ increased awareness. Grow, cook and eat approach learning about creating low cost, easily replicated, nutritious food focusing on eater better where you can/ small steps to progression. We will harvest some fresh herbs and salads together and use these in our cooking session. Sit down, eat together and take home all the leftovers! All included and we cater to a range of needs, food choices, preferences and of course allergies.

Being outdoors is also great for how you feel in yourself, and our team are experts on the 5 ways to wellbeing – simple things we can do to connect, move, give, notice and learn together which makes us feel good!
What makes this activity inclusive?

Experienced user-led organisation run by and for disabled people and work as ‘experts by experience’, understanding the importance of delivering person-centred approaches. Successfully developed three sites from derelict land with diverse needs in mind. Co-produced with disabled people of all ages and abilities, range of adapted tools and equipment both on our garden sites, our kitchens and outreach kits. Sites are used all year round and anyone with an interest in being outdoors, meeting new people and trying something new can get involved.

Person-centred approaches, enabling people in ways that suits them. Always learning from each other and developing new approaches, taking on board feedback – embedded in our ethos/ processes.

Flexible to accommodate e.g. incorporate regular breaks, change dynamic for neurodiverse people at intervals if needed, work with the person or family and take their lead. We consider dietary needs/ preferences (part of ‘choice and control’ user-led functions). Experienced/ adaptable delivery models utilise accessible physical activity as key component through fun organised play ‘moving a little more’ (tabletop gardening, adapted movements etc).

Proven track record and ‘safe pair of hands’. Support all ages, abilities, backgrounds including those experiencing additional barriers e.g. low educational attainment, behavioural needs, looked after children. For more information please contact the provider.

What they say about us

“I loved coming. We planted seeds and picked some herbs. We put the herbs in the cooking and ate it. It was yummy. I planted a strawberry and taking it home to grow in the garden.”

“I loved coming along with my mum. I wasn’t sure at first but I loved the cooking. We used all sorts of different kitchen tools and gadgets. I made spiral veg and everyone loved it.”

“The kids need space to let of steam and the market garden is fantastic for this, as are the staff who showed them lots of new things and got them involved and kept them interested the whole time. We have carried on with what we learned and now have our own allotment growing all sorts of things we never even knew about before!”

“Amazing activity, friendly people, positive environment for all abilities including disabled children. Learning how to plant was so fun and the children loved it. Making and preparing food together helped us learn where food comes from. Not a gardener but really enjoyed trying something new with children. They loved it.”

“Thank you so much. Staff are so helpful and patient with all the children especially with SEND children – understanding what they needed but still helping them feel part of the group.”

“Very attentive and friendly staff. Lovely to see the kids young and old taking part in great activities. Disabled and wheelchair friendly, it was lovely to learn how to plant different seeds and look around market garden. There is even a pond and quiet space for children to play in nature.”

“We cooked and played in the garden. I grew a flower and made a pot of salad to take home. My peas were nice because we picked them together and then cooked them. I really liked it and want to come with my family again.”

Bookings will reopen in the lead up to the Winter Holidays!

To book this activity – If your child meets the criteria you will receive an email. You will need to book using the link and with your child’s unique HAF voucher code which school has allocated via text message or email.

If your child does not meet the criteria please email the activity provider, your booking will not be confirmed until you have a response from the provider

We are fully equipped with proper toilets and handwashing and have parking onsite. We are also near public transport links but if you are not sure or need support to find us get in touch.

Please wear closed footwear and sensible clothing for the outdoors and bring a coat. Please think about bringing a bag to take home what you have made too.

The rain does not stop us, but please bring a coat. If you cannot come on the day, please tell us in advance so someone else can use your place, thank you.