By Tate Papworth
A patch of idle land in Taylors Lakes has been put to good use.
Training Employment Education and Mentoring (TEAM) – a group created to help people with disabilities find work – has rolled out its Sustainable Horticulture through Educational Diversity (SHED) program at
a previously disused block of land.
Under the program, disadvantaged young people from the west come together to participate in – and learn about – urban horticulture and sustainability.
TEAM has secured a licence to use the Sydenham pipe track, a linear strip of land in Taylors Lakes, to run a series of programs for local special schools and community groups.
The group will host a number of programs at the site, with topics including garden to table, food gardens, indigenous gardening, job-ready horticultural training, sustainable garden design, construction and maintenance, plant propagation and composting.
TEAM manager Matt Mason said the aim was to improve employability skills,
promote the therapeutic benefits of horticulture and offer respite streams to disadvantaged people while encouraging environmental sustainability and a sense of community.
He said that after facing a number of hurdles, including protracted negotiations with other groups, it was nice to have a place in the west to call home and TEAM was delighted to finally secure the Talors Lakes land for its use.
“This is when we were first introduced to Melbourne Water’s Our Space, Your Place initiative,” he said.
“After looking at a number of different locations, TEAM settled on this property in Taylors Lakes.”
