A Balby garden centre is ready for its annual visit from Santa – thanks to a group of big-hearted volunteers from a Doncaster drug and alcohol service.
Service users and staff from New Beginnings Recovery-Orientated Detoxification Service in Balby, which is run by Aspire Drug and Alcohol Service rolled up their sleeves to paint walls, spruce up greenhouses and make Christmas wreaths in the Walled Garden Centre at St Catherine’s House at Woodfield Park in Balby, ready for Santa to take up residence at its Christmas Fayre on Sunday 11 December.
St Catherine’s House and Woodfield Park is run by Flourish Enterprises, which is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company with a focus on providing care and support services throughout the local Doncaster community.
Aspire Recovery Practitioner Terez Nagy said: “I’m so proud of our hard work – we’ve really made a difference!
“We’re spending a day each week volunteering with Flourish as part of a project to promote partnership working between our two organisations and give our service users an opportunity to connect with other people, give back to the community, be active, take notice of their surroundings and try new experiences. This helps them to feel part of the community they live in – which is an important part of someone’s ability to sustain recovery and thrive.”
Flourish Occupational Therapist Nikki Walker said: “This project is raising awareness of the opportunities we offer at Flourish to provide training and new skills to people to help them back into, or find alternative employment – and it’s proving to be a great success, as some members of the Aspire group have already expressed an interest in joining our vocational pathway.”
The Christmas Fayre is at St Catherine’s House on Sunday 11 December from 11am to 4pm. Find out more about Flourish Enterprises and the Christmas Fayre by visiting www.flourishenterprises.co.uk; visiting Twitter @flourish_ent or find them on Facebook at Flourish-Enterprises.
Anyone who would like a confidential chat about drug or alcohol issues, or more information about Aspire’s services please ring (01302) 730956, or visit Aspire’s live chat at www.aspire.community
