A team from Southampton Airport have developed a dedicated wildlife and allotment area, known as ‘Muddy Bottom’, for the Southampton based charity, the Society of St James. The charity, which helps vulnerable and homeless people to maintain their independence, wanted to create these new areas for its residents to learn gardening skills, and to enjoy the great outdoors. 

As part of the project, the airport also donated essential gardening tools and equipment for the residents to use at the site, through the BAA Communities Trust, BAA’s own charity. Equipment included; forks, spades, rakes, hoes, trowels, shears, watering cans, wheelbarrows, wellington boots, protective gloves, strimmers, plants and seeds, as well as bird, small mammal and insect boxes.

The area, located in Sholing, Southampton, will be used by the residents to learn new horticultural skills, grow their vegetables and nurture plants and flowers, such as bluebells. The newly created wildlife area will act as an ongoing practical project for the residents to build even more bird and small mammal houses, and provide feeding sites for local wildlife. 

Gwyneth Jones, Manager at the Society of St James, said: “I would like to thank the Southampton Airport team for their support with this project. It has really helped to give our residents a sense of purpose, by getting involved with an activity that they are really interested in. The new areas will benefit all of our 700 residents, enabling them to grow their own food and observe the local wildlife activity.”

Dave Lees, Director of Planning & Development at Southampton Airport said: “Our team were really keen to create the new areas for the residents of this local charity, as part of our team building day. I think our biggest achievement was the creation of the wildlife area, which was completely overgrown, and has now been opened up into a peaceful area in which nature can thrive.” 

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Notes to Editors:

The Society of St James is a thriving local charity, which has been successfully supporting vulnerable and homeless people in Southampton for over 35 years. Every year the Society of St James provides support, accommodation and care for over 700 homeless or vulnerably housed people. Services include a soup kitchen, a 20-bed direct access hostel, 25 supported housing projects, two learning and training projects, four drug and alcohol support services, a care home and a range of person-centred support from skilled staff. 

For more information please see the website – www.ssj.org.uk