The tenants of Bagatelle Court through their own Tenants’ Organisation have organised a wide range of social activities which are well supported throughout the year. With the support of the Bagatelle Court Manager, Agnes Little, they have developed a strategy to embrace healthy living and have benefitted from the support of many local organisations. The tenants agreed that one resource that is not fully utilised is the rear garden which is a sheltered sun trap enhanced by the rippling sound of the waters of the Glen burn which flows through the grounds.
The Tenants’ Organisation applied to their landlord, River Clyde Homes (RCH), for a grant for a garden project that would enhance their health and general wellbeing. Louise Bacon from Community Links joined the tenants at one of their weekly coffee mornings to get ideas of what they would like done. Louise drew a rough plan on the intended works and later issued the tenants with a more plan with ideas for garden planters and benches. Tenants chose what they wanted and the work started on 4 April and was initially estimated to take 5 weeks to complete but the wet summer delayed progress. Robert Dowds, Projects Coordinator from The Trust Employability, and his team of young men did all the heavy work laying the patio and building the BBQ. Parklea Community Garden supplied the workforce for the delivery of soil and bedding plants for the large planters. Russell Smith of RCH coordinated the project on behalf of the tenants. It was certainly a team effort. The tenants invited all of the above organisations to the official opening on the 17 August.
Charles Young, Chief Executive of local charity Greenock Medical Aid Society which is responsible for the staff and the standard of support service provided to the tenants of Bagatelle Court, said “On behalf of the tenants and the Society, I am extremely grateful to the many local organisations that have so willingly contributed the creation of the new patio area for the benefits of tenants. Inverclyde is blessed with many charitable and not for profit organisations and this is a wonderful example of it working in practice. All we need now is some good weather so the patio can be used to its full potential!”
The honour of officially opening the new patio garden was bestowed upon Ian Halliday, who when Chairman of Greenock Medical Aid Society, was instrumental in forging the agreement between Inverclyde Council and the Society to build 28 sheltered housing flats in the grounds of Bagatelle care home. The photograph shows Ian proudly cutting the ribbon flanked by Charles Young and Agnes Little, Bagatelle Court Manager.