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BPHA and their repairs and maintenance contractor Mears have joined forces to clear the gardens of residents who are unable to manage themselves. Garden complaints are amongst the most common from BPHA tenants so it is hoped this pilot scheme will not only help tenants, but also reduce complaints from neighbours as well.Mears staff are volunteering their time to help with the pilot scheme which is running from November until the end of the year. They are assisting with cutting back shrubs and plants, and removing any unwanted items from gardens which will be recycled where possible. Once the garden has been cleared, tenants will receive on-going support to maintain it through the help of a team of BPHA volunteers. These volunteers are either retired or currently looking for work and the scheme helps them to learn new skills.Residents are already seeing a difference. Ms Smith from Great Barford, was one of the first to have her garden cleared by the team, and said “Thank you so much for your help; I cannot describe how much this means. My mum was a great gardener and it hurt me to see it become like it did and now with all your help I can feel good again – thank you”.Janet Cook from BPHA said “The programme would not exist without the help and support of Mears – they are the reason we can continue to run this scheme and help people”.Michelle Brophy from Mears said “Mears were pleased to be able to assist with this scheme – we encourage all our staff to volunteer time to help community projects, and we’re already seeing a big difference being made to the lives of local tenants”.