Charity to reopen garden following transformation, in memory of chairman who sadly died from cancer

PHAB, which offers social activities and sports for children and young adults nationally, has a Northampton branch based in The Headlands – and its new and improved garden is being unveiled this Friday (September 6).

The dedicated team works hard to provide fun and safe places for people to feel independent, meet new friends and gain confidence as a community.

The Mayor of Northampton will be in attendance to visit the memorial bench for Philip Ford, who had been the chairman of PHAB Northampton for a number of years.

He sadly passed away from cancer earlier this year, and his funeral was held at the end of June.

Philip is remembered for his important role as the Northampton chairman, his involvement in Towcester and on the board of the national charity.

“He was always a pleasant man and loved the members,” said Ann Williams, the new chairperson. “He was a very kind and nice man, a gentle person.”

Though the amount he attended decreased during his ill health, Ann said you would often find Philip making tea in the kitchen.

It was important to the team to honour Philip’s life, as they did for the previous chairman who also sadly passed away in recent years.

Talking about the “big makeover” of the garden on their Wootton premises, Ann said: “It was full of horrible bushes with prickly leaves and we couldn’t use it. We skimmed it off and sorted the grass.”

This is where Philip’s memorial bench will be located and with 10 flats who can also access the communal garden area, Ann hopes it will be well-used moving forward.

The charity has a “very positive impact” on the Northampton community and Ann would like to see more volunteers and members join as time goes on.

It is currently operating for adults only, but the team would like to open for a second evening each week to welcome children along. This is a work in progress.