Fairfield receives another community garden as Te Whānau Pūtahi build veggie bed

Back: Ezra Taniwha, Harry McNae, Nick Jackson, Nickayla Mcclintock, Mariece Winiata-Topi (Te Whanau Putahi administrator). Front: Giulio Turilli, Daniel Milburn and Louise Coate. Photo / Supplied

Hamilton's Fairfield residents received another community garden thanks to volunteers at local charitable organisation Te Whānau Pūtahi (The Family Centre) and Bunnings Warehouse.

The volunteers planted vegetables and herbs that will one day provide healthy food for whānau in the Fairfield community.

The new herb and veggie bed joins existing Fairfield community gardens including one from local community group the Fairfield Project and one from the mental health not-for-profit organisation Progress to Health at Caro Park (Hamilton United Women's Bowling Club).

Te Whānau Pūtahi is a faith-based organisation that has been serving the Fairfield community for more than 25 years and already provides free meals and food parcels for those in need.

Te Whānau Pūtahi administrator Mariece Winiata-Topi says the organisation thinks the garden will help to make the Fairfield community a better place.

"The purpose of the garden is to create a resource where whānau can come and help themselves to healthy, fresh produce and also contribute towards maintaining the garden for the benefit of others."

She got in contact with the local Bunnings Warehouse team to ask for help with the project.

Bunnings Warehouse Hamilton South complex manager Kyle Augustus says they were "delighted" to be of help donating products and attending working bees to build an 11.6m by 1.5m garden bed.

"The Bunnings Hamilton South team enjoyed working alongside the team at Te Whānau Pūtahi to bring their project to life."

Mariece and her team of volunteers are now looking forward to seeing their little garden grow vegetables and herbs for their community.

Te Whānau Pūtahi was started by the Hamilton Central Baptist Church and now also acts as an early childhood centre.