History

The original HOPE trustees were all involved in planning the ARK house in Arbroath, which opened in 1990. ARK Housing provides housing throughout Scotland for adults with learning disabilities.

Through their involvement with ARK, they became aware that more than just housing was needed - there was a lack of adequate activity for people with learning disabilities who were coming to live in the local community. It became apparent that some of these individuals would benefit from some kind of outdoor activity and there were limited places available in the adult resource centres at that time. Some of these persons had quite a lot of gardening experience from their previous institutional lives. As a result, HOPE began its existence as a charitable trust in 1993.

HOPE garden is on land which is part of the Hospitalfield House estate, a mile from the centre of Arbroath. This area itself has an ancient history - the name Hospitalfield harks back to the 13th century when there was a plague and leprosy hospice on the site. It is particularly apt that an organic garden serving the local community is once again in operation on the site, as the land may well have once been used to grow food and medicinal herbs to serve the hospice. Patrick Allen-Fraser of Hospitalfield Trust made the land available rent free to HOPE, and work started on the garden in 1994.

HOPE was totally dependent on volunteer help for the first two years, and the trustees worked hard to raise enough funding to pay a gardener's salary. Electricity and water supplies to the garden were installed, and hand tools purchased. Local trusts were supportive to get the project up and running, and since 2000 Lloyds TSB Foundation and the Community Fund have provided substantial funding for the salaries of the project.

The vegetable box scheme began in 1999 and now supplies over 60 local households with organic vegetables, fruit and herbs during the summer months. HOPE has been registered as an organic grower since April 2001 and is currently affiliated with the Soil Association.

HOPE's volunteers received great recognition in 2007 when HOPE was awarded the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service. This award was presented to Cedric de Voil (HOPE's chairman) by Georgiana Osborne (the Lord Lieutenant for Angus) at a reception in the magnificent Hospitalfield House on 29th August 2007. Cedric's speech on that occasion gives further insight into the history of HOPE and the people who have contributed so much to its success.