Wayside garden space creates new Hope

By Emily Laurence

Once closed off due to reoccurring drug-related deaths, Hope Lane in Kings Cross is now living up to its name as Wayside Chapel’s new garden space takes shape.’
These days, potted plants and busy hands are all that can be seen from the rear exit of Wayside’s community outreach centre backing onto Hope Lane.
The garden space will be used to host a range of formal and informal lessons teaching life skills from social interaction to vocational courses such as cooking.’It will form part of Wayside’s programs offered to marginalised members of the community aimed at self-help recovery.
“People are learning as the plants arrive so it’s a slowly developing project as people become involved’ says Wayside’s Day-to-Day Living program manager, Wendy Suma. ‘It’s quite organic you might say!”‘
The Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust Community Greening Program have generously donated plants and will provide ongoing assistance to maintain the garden.’
Vocational gardening courses run by the Botanic Gardens will also be available for Wayside’s clients in the near future, Ms Suma says.’
Despite Hope Lane’s troubled past, the location of the garden space has received no complaint or objection from the community. Instead, the project has attracted immense support including that of local Kings Cross florist and garden store PoHo who have been donating plants and flower cuts on a weekly basis.’
City of Sydney Council have also contributed funds to purchase pots.’
Councillor Shane Mallard, who initially proposed the garden space to Council in August last year, fully supports the project and says gardening as “an ancient form of helping people” will benefit those members of the community supported by Wayside.
The majority of the clients who will use the garden are involved in Wayside’s Day-to-Day Living program and suffer from long-term mental health issues. Ms Suma says that the garden space will also be used for a range of other activities and services as the garden progresses.’
The Wayside Chapel was founded by Ted Noffs in the 1960s and provides outreach services and support for the homeless, elderly, domestic violence victims, drug/substance abuse victims and people with mental health issues.