At Barn Court, a simple idea has made a big difference to everyday life for customers using the communal garden.

Customers had added solar lights to help brighten the shared outdoor space, creating an area they could enjoy and take pride in. However, with grounds maintenance taking place regularly, customers often needed to move the lights before the grass could be cut.

Since a change in gardening contractors, customers no longer knew exactly when maintenance visits would take place, making it difficult to move items in time and sometimes resulting in damaged lights or disrupted displays.

Customer Sian explained:

“We have solar lights in the garden, and usually we’d remove them beforehand, but frequently they’d come without us knowing when they’d be there, especially when I wasn’t home to move things. The lights would get damaged, and the whole thing would look a mess.”

After raising the issue, Marilyn visited the site to discuss possible solutions with customers. Together, they came up with the idea of installing a simple wooden border to clearly define the customer-maintained area, allowing the lights and plant pots to remain in place while grounds maintenance could continue around them.

Working alongside contractors Roscoe Tree Services as part of their Community Benefit Programme, the improvement was quickly put into action.

“I wasn’t sure whether anything would happen,” said Sian. “Then one morning, my partner woke up to find that Roscoe had already done the work through their scheme first thing in the morning, and I was quite impressed with it.”

The change has removed the need for customers to repeatedly move items before grass cutting takes place, helping protect personal belongings while making the space easier to enjoy.

“It’s made it so much easier now. We don’t need to move the lights anymore, they can come cut the grass, and we don’t need to worry about it at all. It was amazing – I am very happy.”

Since the improvements, pride in the area has certainly increased. More solar lights and plant pots have been added, improving the overall ambience, especially in the evening when the lights look their best.

While small in scale, the improvement highlights how listening to customers and making practical changes can have a meaningful impact on day-to-day life, helping people feel more comfortable, confident, and proud of the places they live.

Published 28/05/2026