Memory Gardens Sculpture Project
10 March 2004
Dear Mr Mead,
We are a small self-help group that is situated no more than a few metres from where you now sit!
We exist because, just over two years ago, staff members at NCH gave us the benefit of the doubt and let us develop a piece of disused land that is owned by themselves and is situated by the side of the legard Family Assessment Unit.
Our project is for Autistic and Dyslexic people, and from this disused land we have created a garden space where we hold weekend clubs and make sculptures and shelters, also running games activities and doing gardening. We also run an educational project on a weekday whereby adults with Aspergers Syndrome train to become Mentors to the younger people who attend the club, and help also with maintenance of the garden.
Our project has now been running for over two years, during which time we have secured various grants and kept a co-operative but non-invasive relationship with NCH.
I am writing to you now because there are two issues which are questioning our on going security as a project, namely :-
a) We need to build toilet facilities if we are not to be dependant on those in the Legard Road Family Centre. This dependency is not an ideal sitation asit can only be an irritation to those working in the Family Centre at the weekend, who have to respond to our buzzing their intercom, asking to be let in to use their toilet. But also because it inhibits who we can invite to become members- so those with more frequent needs for a toilet are, at this cold time of year being excluded (i.e those with weaker bladders!)
We also feel that it must be a difficult situation for the Family Centre and althought they have been generous in allowing us to use their downstairs facilities, we feel that long-term and with our presently increased membership, it is not fair on their privacy.
We propose building our own facilities in an adjoining storeroom where at the moment we keep our tools and thanks to a cold water supply ansd sink, are able to wash our hands. But we need permission to do so. We have put this proposal forward and in theory it was approved, but it has been over a year now, and we have no firm guideline.
b) The second point relates to our right to use this land. At present we are temporary "guests" and NCH bears the rigth to ask us to leave at a month's notice. As our project becomes more established and includes more members, we feel that such a shaky basis is a cause for concern.
If the staff whom we have been dealing with for so long were to change, or conditions beyond our control were to come into effect, we could find ourselves SUDDENLY becoming homeless. Bearing in mind the time it has taken to build up a sense of trust and value for our members, and in view of their overriding need for security, this could be devastating for our members on a deeply personal level.
It is in view of these concerns that I am writing to you.
I would value a meeting with yourself and would certainly be glad to show you or any other representative of NCH around our project when I could explain more fully the spirit of our work in the garden.
I also feel that it is a pity that there is not more of a link in terms of ideas between our artist practitioners and those therapists working in the field of Autism at NCH. I sense that both our project and your organisation would gain a great deal from such a shared platform of discussion.
I look forward to hearing from you at your convenience.
Yours Sincerely,
Ruth Solomon
Founder and Co-ordinator
Memory Gardens Sculpture Project.
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