Project Mission
The team works across Ashford, Kent maintaining communal spaces, shared gardens and also carries out jobs for those who struggle to maintain their gardens. CAT also provides the opportunity for Aspire students to gain work experience and volunteering opportunities for anyone else that needs some experience.
Started in 2013 the project is a real working relationship between Uprising and Ashford Borough Council. Whilst Uprising services the Council’s requirements in terms of a gardening/clearance services, the project is much more than that. Ultimately it provides us with the opportunity to engage with local people and encourage them to take ownership of the areas that they live in, offer support and signposting, and become part of the local community.
Delivery
Since 2013, the project has grown from 2 x 4 hour sessions a week to being out Monday to Friday from 9-3pm. Each session involves a variety of mowing, strimming, hedge cutting, weeding, and general tidying of communal spaces across Ashford. We ensure that everyone that passes We have as the project has grown also taken a few smaller contracts on where we now maintain several allotments and church yards and carry out adhoc jobs such as garden/alley clearances.
Whilst we have a core team that do an amazing job the delivery of the project would not be possible without our volunteers. Our volunteers come from a variety of places:
- Aspire+ Students – CAT is closely linked to Aspire and provides a weekly session for attendees to gain work experience that can be used on CV’s.
- Job Seekers – young people and adults that are looking for work. Again we provide a place where voluntary hours can be gained for CV’s and an organisation that can provide a reference.
- Young people supported by partner organisations – we regularly work with other organisations that are doing a great job of supporting young people by providing additionality to the programmes that they are on.
- Anyone else that is keen to volunteer – this ranges from employees of companies that need to give a number of charity days, people with mental health issues who need support, young people with additional needs, care experienced young people, and local people from the communities that we work in.
Reviews…
“103 young people delivered over 1500 hours of voluntary work in 2024”
“Over 500 hours of work experience placements provided between September 2023 – September 2024”
“We love the CAT team not only do they come and do an amazing job they always take the time to chat to us and ask how we are doing, they genuinely care.”
“We cannot thank the CAT team from Uprising enough for the work they did on our parent’s overgrown garden. They were AMAZING.”
“It is so good to see an organisation that is providing young people with work experience opportunities alongside all of the other support they give”
“CAT was a great experience, it really helped to have something that I could put on my CV.”
“I learnt so much on CAT and it made me realise that I want to have a career in landscaping”
“The guys literally work in any weather!!”
