Kennedy Way May Day 2026

Community Garden welcomes visitors to Open Day

 A COMMUNITY garden showcased its activities and groups with a sun-soaked open day complete with singing and fundraising in a bid to invite more people to visit.  Community Voluntary Services Tendring (CVST) hosted the open event at it’s Kennedy Way Community Garden in Clacton to encourage residents to take a look at what’s on offer at the site.

Volunteers and members ran stalls including a tombola and raffle, while there were cakes, plants and craft items for sale.

Members of the garden’s Men’s Shed were selling items they had made including bird boxes and showing wood burning and carving and handmade puzzles.

There was also a second-hand book stall, a fundraising stall run by the youth group Ignite, and demonstrations of the Mind the Music singing group – a dementia friendly singing group held at the garden’s community hub.

Lisa Andrews, CVST’s chief officer, said: “I love our Kennedy Way Community Garden and the open day was such a special time to celebrate all the hard work that has gone into creating such a wonderful space and all the activities that now run there.  The flowers were all in bloom and everyone was smiling as they walked around the garden, Men’s Shed and Community Hub.  We welcome visitors to the garden, as well as those wanting to join our clubs and groups, take part in the gardening or Men’s Shed, or those able to volunteer.  Get in touch or come along and visit – there’s seating and quiet spaces to relax too.”

Kennedy Way Community Garden is the result of a unique collaboration between the Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care System Local Estates Forum, the North East Essex Health and Wellbeing Alliance, site owners NHS Property Services and CVST.

Phase One opened officially in November 2021 with Phase Two unveiled on June 2023.

For more information on CVST’s events and the garden visit www.cvstendring.org.uk