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The Strawbale Workshop
At The Beehive on Manzil Way off Cowley Road we are undertaking a very exciting development in eco-building.
At the Beehive we propagate plants from seed and cuttings every year and sell them to the local community. We also tend the beautiful gardens which are open during weekdays to the public. In the winter, craft products are made using materials grown in the garden. In doing so, people with mental health problems learn valuable horticultural and DIY skills and often move on to courses, and paid employment. (LEaP provides one-to-one employment, education and training support.)
The existing garden workshop (located in the gardens) is an ideal location for a community café - the plans of which are currently under development. The café will provide additional opportunities for people to learn and practice cooking, serving, and shop management skills. This will mean that our gardeners need a new workshop, in the form of the outbuilding planned as a place to work in all weathers.
The building of the new Garden Workshop is a way to give our workers a hands on experience in simple building techniques. It will also promote our links within the community by getting volunteers to come and work with us. We hope this will decrease the stigma associated with mental health problems and providing a rewarding and satisfying experience for all involved.
In line with our ethos in the garden of using environmentally products and minimising chemical use. The building will be built from ecologically friendly and low impact materials including walls of straw-bales and locally sourced hazel, reclaimed timber from local sites, and foundations of reclaimed tyres. This use of materials otherwise considered waste reduces the amount of landfill. Traditional lime putty plaster will be used inside and out and natural paint products to finish. Water collection facilities from the roof will be used to irrigate our plant growing activities. The building is secluded from the street by the hedge surrounding it, it will provide a quiet and beautiful place for our gardeners to work and rehabilitate, surrounded by our beautiful gardens.
It’s all labour intensive and a wee bit messy but fabulous opportunity for people with mental health problems and staff to be part of this exciting eco-project.
The café, which overlooks our beautiful garden, plans to provide fresh local organic produce to the public. It will be set up and run by people with mental health problems.