From small seeds grow mighty trees. That’s been the story at Christchurch City Mission where members of Civil
Contractors New Zealand’s Christchurch Westland branch have pitched in to kickstart a community gardening programme for
people staying at the Mission’s shelters and engaged in its day programmes
The garden, which has sprung to life on a previously unused section of land beside the City Mission’s 269 Hereford St
office, consists of wooden pellet garden beds used to grow nutritious and colourful vegetables such as lettuce, tomato
and beans.
The pallets demonstrate a simple set up which can be replicated and used to teach the joy of gardening to people staying
in Christchurch City Mission shelters, and those moving from shelters into their own accommodation.
But it wasn’t always this way. The land beside the City Mission’s Hereford St office was overgrown and difficult to
access. It was no place for a model garden intended to inspire shelter residents.
That’s where CCNZ Canterbury Westland branch came in. Canterbury Westland executive committee member John Crawley was
told of the City Mission’s plan and raised it at a CCNZ branch meeting. Schick Civil Construction and Isaac Construction
leapt at the opportunity to help out, and quickly set about providing supplies.
Schick Civil Construction donated and delivered gravel and crusher dust to build a path to the gardens for all weather
access and Isaac Construction donated tiles and wooden edging to make the garden area more attractive.
“The garden is an awesome project and our branch members were all too happy to help out,” Mr Crawley said.
The support of CCNZ’s members has played a vital role in growing the programme from a simple idea to something much
bigger, says Georgette McAlpine, Anglican Care finance manager and the woman behind the City Mission’s new garden
programme.
“We can’t do what we do without lovely groups like Schick and Isaac Construction assisting us. We would never have been
able to achieve it without them – I would just be slogging through the dust and mud without the access they are
creating.”
She is currently working with the men’s and women’s night shelters to help them create gardens of their own, using the
one at 269 Hereford St as a test bed.
“The pallet gardens the men build could be moved to where they are needed and the pallets may be used as part of our
housing first programme, which aims to get people in need into housing. There’s that pride of ownership if you build
your own and can use it at your new accommodation.”
Eventually, she also wants to help introduce a year-long programme to help people know how to look after the garden and
what to plant in different seasons.
“It’s just grown from a little seed to a great big tree. I’m really humbled by the support from Schick, Isaacs
Construction, John Crawley from Civil Contractors and the community. It’s been awesome. Just, wow. Wow.”
The support for Christchurch City Mission’s garden programme is just one of the recent fundraising efforts supported by
CCNZ members. In January CCNZ Canterbury Westland Branch Chair and Isaac Construction CEO Jeremy Dixon put his BBQ
skills to the test alongside more than 25 other local CEOs as part of the Bayleys Canterbury Plate up for a Purpose
event. Strong support from CCNZ Canterbury Westland members helped Mr Dixon raise more than $20,000 for the Christchurch City Mission on behalf of kids who need school uniforms, stationary and other items that many of
us take for granted. Overall, Bayleys Canterbury Plate up for a Purpose raised more than $170,000.
Another CCNZ branch event on 16 March saw 14 people from Christchurch City Mission provided with a tour of the Isaac
Conservation and Wildlife Trust bird breeding sanctuary. The visit included a tour of the sanctuary and a supervised
excavator experience followed by a BBQ lunch provided by ASB and a presentation on the Take a Kid Fishing programme.