Situated in the heart of Scotland, near Dunkeld, Corbenic Camphill Community is home to 40 adults with varying support need and over 100 staff members, providing residential care as well as day care services. Set in beautiful rural surroundings, the community is made up of seven households and a variety of workshops. At Corbenic, participation in meaningful work and creative projects is fundamental to daily life, with workshops available in areas such as Bakery, Craft, Estate, Farm, Garden, Horse Care, House Garden, Pottery, Woodwork, and Candle Making. These workshops offer residents the opportunity to learn new skills, express their creativity, and make valuable contributions to the community.
One of the workshops which holds a special place in the hearts of the Corbenic community is their Garden Workshop. This is an essential part of their provision for the residential and day service and directly benefits the residents who use this facility each day, as part of their year-round participation in the garden.
The meaningful work opportunities that this workshop provides contribute significantly to the community, with organic and biodynamic produce being used in the homes and some going to The Corbenic Shop. The meaningful and therapeutic work that gardening provides is considerable, and ties in very directly to the values and aims of Corbenic, and the wider Camphill community.
In October 2022, The Camphill Foundation UK & Ireland provided Corbenic Camphill Community with a grant of £20,000 to help towards the much-needed repair and upgrading of their Garden Workshop.
Despite some unfortunate delays due to contractor issues, it is very rewarding to receive an update from Corbenic on their progress and to see how this grant has benefitted the individuals involved with the Garden Workshop and the community as a whole.
Over the course of a week at Corbenic, 12 residents attend morning and afternoon sessions at the Garden Workshop, supported by 9 of their live-in, year-out volunteers, and the Workshop Leader. In addition, a further 11 Day Service participants and two staff work in the garden each week.
Depending on the time of year, attendees will be involved a variety of tasks, from indoor work seeding and singling of plants, to outdoor tasks such as replanting, tending to plants while growing, then finally harvesting the produce. This year they are looking forward to a variety of delicious produce, including beetroot, leeks, lettuce, red peppers, spinach, kohlrabi, tomatoes, sunflowers, Swiss chard, potatoes, runner beans, turnips and carrots. The produce is used by the kitchens in each of their seven group homes, and form the ingredients of delicious meals, which are enjoyed by everyone in the community.
Summary of project works
At the outset of the project, they had initially considered upgrading the workshop kitchen, and replacing the wood burning stove with a gas fire. However, as work progressed and costs were established, the following items were considered a higher priority and ultimately where the grant has been used:
1. Lean-to greenhouse refurbishment
Damage to the existing greenhouse made it unsafe and unusable. Old aluminium roof joists were replaced with new timbers, broken glass panes removed, the roof reglazed with polycarbonate glass, and roof flashings/concrete sills replaced to manage rain run-off.
2. Storeroom window installation
A new double window was added into the workshop store, providing natural light in a busy area previously only lit by a single electric bulb, greatly improving the usability and safety of the space.
3. New DDA compliant toilet
The two small, old and inaccessible toilets inside the workshop were removed and replaced with a completely new, modern and fully DDA compliant facility with wet walling, Altro (non-slip) flooring, a wheelchair accessible door, new sink and toilet hardware.
4. Hot water system upgrade
The fitting of a new Calorifier pressurised hot water tank has increased the capacity of hot water available and regulated the flow to the taps in the toilet, kitchen and workshop.
5. Path upgrades for wheelchair access and improved drainage
Upgrading and raising c.20m of existing cinder path providing wheelchair access, avoiding a step into the Workshop, and stopping run-off from the adjacent garden damaging the wooden exterior of the workshop building.
After items 1-4 above were complete, enough remained of the Foundation’s grant to begin item 5 and replace the top 100mm of existing cinder path with new flattened hardcore in preparation for slabbing. The remaining slabbing work will be funded from Corbenic’s own budgets, supported by any other grants they receive from applications still outstanding.
The Camphill Foundation UK & Ireland would like to take this opportunity to thank those who kindly donate and leave financial legacies. Our work is only possible due to these donations and this update from Corbenic really highlights the positive impact that this work has on the people who they support.
“The greenhouse was not previously fit for purpose. Broken glass panels meant the lean-to was neither watertight or insulated. Now that the roof is repaired with modern insulating polycarbonate panels, an area full of natural light maintains a consistent temperature and humidity allowing our seeds to fully propagate before being moved outside into the polytunnels and then planted in the garden. Without the repairs to the greenhouse creating the right conditions, propagation would be almost impossible, meaning we’d struggle to have anything to plant. The essential repair work has kept the Garden Workshop functioning and providing a vital therapeutic workshop for Residents. The addition of the new window to the storeroom has greatly improved health and safety, bringing much-needed light to a dark area full of potentially dangerous tools, whilst saving energy on electricity lighting.”
Jane Wilkinson – Former Garden Workshop Leader
“It is wonderful to have the new toilet facility in the Garden Workshop. It makes such a difference to the feel of the workshop to have a modern toilet available to everyone, and it’s easy to keep clean meaning there is more time to focus on workshop activities. It is especially pleasing that along with the path works, the design of the toilet increases our accessibility, meaning wheelchair users are able to join the Workshop. As our residents age and mobility issues become more common, this will ensure individuals can continue to attend the Workshop. Finally, it is so nice to know that wherever we turn on a hot water tap on in the Workshop, hot water comes out! From all our residents, volunteers and staff, thank you so much for the support of the Foundation.”
Michael Yellowleese – Garden Workshop Leader
To find out more about Corbenic Camphill Community’s Garden Workshop, please click here.
