Meet the Northampton resident aiming to transform back-alley into a community garden

A woman from Northampton is hoping to make her back-alley garden a “riot of colour and bloom” to make best use of the “great community space”.

Ruth Hemmingway wants the Albany Ardington Community Garden - between Albany Street and Ardington Street - to bring people closer together in the area.

The 45-year-old said: “Although I've lived here for 14 years, I don't necessarily know people by name so I'm just learning to say hello to people.

“It's a great way to develop friendships and we've probably had about half the houses in the street come out and start gardening.”

Over the first lockdown period Ruth had chemotherapy as part of her cancer treatment and at one point she ran out of food.

She said: “I ran out of food at one point and our community felt disjointed. No one really knew their neighbour so I felt I didn't know anyone to ask for help.”

Since the pandemic, Ruth has set up a WhatsApp group to bring residents in the area closer together and is now hoping that that the garden will be an area for the community.

Ruth, from Abington, added: “I’d imagine it will be 18 months before the whole place is just a riot of colour and bloom.

“We’re thinking about getting some graffiti artists involved as well. It's just a great community space.”

There is a doctors surgery near the garden and Ruth would like to install a seating area, which staff at the surgery can enjoy in their lunch-breaks.

It is hoped that the garden will also improve the biodiversity of the area.

Ruth said: “We are in a situation where 70 percent of mammals across the world have become extinct within my lifetime, there is something that every person can do about that.”

The garden has also been entered into the Dobbies competition to win £500 of gardening products for the community space.

Ruth added that the money would enable her to purchase water boxes and compost bins for the garden.

To vote for Albany Ardington Community Garden in Dobbies ‘Helping Your Community Grow’ competition follow the link here.