Faces of Kettering: Mandy McQueenie at William Street Community Garden

“Just a Beautiful Space to Be”

We caught up with Mandy McQueenie, one of the people behind William Street Community Garden – a green oasis in the heart of Kettering that grew out of the community spirit of lockdown.

Tell us how the garden came about.

I’m Mandy, and I’m one of the people that support the William Street Community Garden. We started the garden as a result of Covid, really. The street came together a lot as a community during that time, and I wanted to leave some kind of legacy from that — something that would keep that spirit alive.

What is the garden all about?

It’s just a beautiful space to come and be. There’s no pressure on anybody to come every week or anything like that — people can just drop by. You don’t even have to be interested in gardening! You can just come for a cup of tea and a chat. We have a core group of volunteers who are here every week, all dedicated to the space.

As well as the growing side of things, we have a huge conservation project going on. We’ve already received a silver award for our conservation efforts, and next year we’ll be going for gold. To do that, you have to maintain the standard you’ve already achieved and build on it — so that’s what we’ll be working towards.

We’re also just in the middle of setting up a reflection garden — a space where people can come and sit and just enjoy being outside.

Our ethos is everything eco-friendly. We don’t use any pesticides or chemicals, so everything you grow here, you know is good for you. And if you come along and help and we’re growing vegetables — just take them home at the end of the day. No cost, nothing. It’s just about giving back to the community.

We also run workshops on growing, preserving food, and making things — all sorts of practical skills that people can take away with them.

How can people get involved?

We’re open every weekend, either Saturday or Sunday, and we’re around in the evenings during the summer too. If you see us pottering around, just come on in! We’re on Facebook and Instagram as well, where we post about all our events and workshops.

William Street Community Garden is open every weekend. Find them on Facebook and Instagram for events and updates.

Facebook: facebook.com/groups/499531079038516
Instagram: @william_st_community_garden

This interview is part of Faces of Kettering – a celebration of the extraordinary people who make our town the place it is. Each person featured in the series has had their portrait painted by a local artist, with the paintings displayed in locations across Kettering town centre as a colourful reminder of the community spirit that runs through everything we do here.

You can find all of the portraits – and where to find them – on our interactive art trail map on the Love Kettering Hub. Whether you follow the trail in an afternoon or stumble across a painting on your daily routine, we hope each one makes you smile, and perhaps inspires you to find out a little more about the remarkable people who make Kettering great.