Growing spirit on ‘left-out’ Longbenton estate

Jul 18 2009 by Tony Henderson, The Journal

THE Good Life is gaining ground on Tyneside. Environment Editor Tony Henderson reports.

TWO sisters have set out to bring the good life back to the Tyneside council housing estate where they grew up.

Karen Clark and Julie Cruddas founded the Justice Prince community interest company three years ago to improve the quality of life on the Longbenton estate in North Tyneside, and other similar areas. Justice was the maiden name of their mother and Prince was their father’s surname.

At Longbenton, one of the main measures to bring about change has been the creation of the Good Life community garden on the site of 18 derelict allotments on Chesters Avenue.

The garden has about 30 volunteers, who help grow vegetables and fruit , learn skills, build up their confidence and self-esteem and become part of a supportive social network.

The garden also operates a veggie box scheme which delivers to 15 locations in North Tyneside.

It is starting a gardens service operation to take care of plots which householders cannot, perhaps because of age or disability. Tomorrow, the Good Life garden will join in the national Big Lunch initiative, an open-air social event organised by the Eden Project in Cornwall.

The Good Life has its roots in a development five years ago when Julie helped establish the Longbenton Community Action Team. She says: “Local people were fed up with the ways things were going. We talked to and listened to around 2,000 residents about what they felt was wrong and what was needed.”

The key issues were a lack of:

:: Facilities for young people on the estate;

::Green spaces;

:: Access to affordable fresh fruit and vegetables. That led to the founding of the Good Life venture, of which Julie, 44, is project director. The first task was to clear the derelict site of everything from car bonnets to carpets.

Julie says: “The development of the site was a huge, uphill struggle. Then, we had limited knowledge, skills and experience. It isn’t just about growing vegetables. The Good Life has given people confidence, and has been a lifeline for those suffering from social isolation and exclusion and health problems by providing outdoor exercise and a social network in a safe, friendly environment.”

Future hopes include full-time staff and persuading Nexus to open up direct access to the garden from the nearby Longbenton Metro station.

“Community gardens show people where their food comes from and provide informal education. It’s getting back to basics,” says Julie.

Karen, 47, who is chief executive of Justice Prince, says: “ Having grown up on the estate, we felt we had a good understanding of what it was like for people in these communities.

“We were concerned that they were being left out and left behind.

“Our core aim is to improve the quality of life for people, find out what is needed to improve their lives and communities, and to offer support and give them a role in these improvements and feeling a part of something. It is a journey for them. It is about developing new ways of involving people and them taking an active role in their communities.”

The Big Lunch at the Good Life garden tomorrow will run from noon to 3pm and will feature a hog roast, veggie BBQ, and activities such as berry picking and children planting pumpkin seeds for Halloween.