Prince’s gang help revive hostel’s plot

From the archive, first published Friday 9th Mar 2007.

HOMELESS children can play together in a hostel garden after it was transformed by a Prince's Trust scheme.

A group of young people spent a month sprucing up the play area of the hostel in Southchurch which was overgrown and run down.

They planted flowers, added woodchip and painted a Looney Tunes spray paint mural on the wall - featuring Warner Brothers' famous cartoon characters.

Zoe Brennan, 20, of Balmoral Road, Westcliff, who took part in the 12-week Prince's Trust course, said they were given a number of community schemes to choose from.

She said: "We chose the hostel because we felt sorry for the children as they had nowhere to play.

"We wanted to bring it back to life and make a safe place for children to play.

"All they had there when we started was not much in the way of grass and a few weeds. We basically had a blank canvas to work on."

The team of eleven youngsters collected £500 to fund the project and were given blooms as donations to smarten it up.

The garden will now benefit up to 32 families who stay at the hostel until they are housed.

Tracy Beers, hostel manager, said the families were delighted by the work. She added: "Instead of being bland, it's now inviting for the children and families.

"They can use the garden as they would at home."