Garden centre treat for homebound

Members of the Southgate Homebound and Disabled Association were given the chance to do ?something a bit different? when they visited a 1,000sq ft garden centre on Saturday.

During their visit to the Van Hage Centre, in Great Amwell, Hertfordshire, association members enjoyed afternoon tea and viewed the many flowers on show before meeting hundreds of animals living in the centre?s zoo.

The association, which is now in its 56th year, organises a variety of free trips and activities for Southgate residents who find themselves housebound either because of age or disability.

Regular events include music and singing groups and talks, while the association has also organised cruises along the River Lee and tours of the Gunpowder Mills in Waltham Abbey.

Chairman Ian Woodall said the association was always on the lookout for volunteers to help run the trips.

?We organise these outings to give our members the opportunity to do something a bit different to our normal evenings,? he said.

?We try to change where we go each year, but our choice of destination is restricted as it needs to be wheelchair accessible.

Also, some years we?ve had to limit the number of members able to come due to not having enough volunteers to push them, although this year we were lucky.

?We want to grow the association to include as many people as possible, so we are always looking for more help, even if just for a few hours one evening every month?.

The monthly meetings are held at Christ Church, The Green, Southgate. Membership is free and is open to anyone from the Southgate area who is homebound due to age or disability.

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