Contractors dig deep for Northampton community charity
Volunteers from our A14 Kelmarsh project team have swapped hard hats for garden gloves to transform a neglected allotment into a lasting green space for some of Northampton’s most vulnerable residents.
The work at Kingsthorpe Park Allotments was carried out by contractors Morgan Sindall as part of the social value commitments tied to National Highways' essential maintenance scheme on the A14 at Kelmarsh.
Following the completion of works, including vegetation clearance, the renewal and replacement of failing sections of cutting and the installation of drains, the team wanted to leave something meaningful behind for the community.
The charity benefiting from the project is the McCarthy-Dixon Foundation, which supports disadvantaged people in the area, many of whom live with complex needs including physical challenges and mental health conditions such as chronic anxiety.
The allotment plot was previously cared for by a former client of the Foundation, John Macken and following his death, his family shared his wish for it to be passed to the charity.
The site had fallen into disrepair and needed significant work before it could fulfil its potential as a welcoming, restorative space.
Over four days, the Morgan Sindall team alongside the charity’s volunteer gardener Patrick Peter erected a low-level perimeter fence using donated scaffold boards, building and widening a new gate to improve access, and helping to construct a metal-framed polytunnel.
The team also donated materials left over from the scheme including topsoil and aggregate, and supplied a rotavator to help improve the soil.
Chloe Levine, Project Manager at National Highways, said: "This is exactly the kind of work that makes you proud to be part of a project.
“Our team had the skills, the tools and a bit of spare time, so it made complete sense to put them to good use for people who will genuinely benefit.
“The McCarthy-Dixon Foundation is doing incredible work in Northampton and we hope the allotment gives people they support somewhere peaceful and uplifting to come to for years to come."
Teresa McCarthy-Dixon MBE, founder and Operations Manager of the McCarthy-Dixon Foundation, said: "The volunteers have been absolutely fantastic. They've gone above and beyond for our charity, and we are so grateful for everything they've done.
“Many of the people we support have very complex needs and conditions so what's been created at our allotment will genuinely be life-changing for them."
