Groups of homeless people from around the country have jumped at the chance to get involved with helping construct a major showpiece garden for this year's RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London - one of the Show's largest, and on track for completion in mid-May.

This ambitious initiative, entitled the Key, is the product of a unique collaboration between the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) - the housing and regeneration agency for England - Communities and Local Government (CLG), the Eden Project, and national homelessness membership charity Homeless Link.

By uniting some of the most disadvantaged people in society to get involved with the building and planting of the garden, it is envisaged that this opportunity will act as a catalyst to inspire the individuals involved with a sense of growth, hope and long-term change for the future, and help break the cycle of social exclusion. This in turn will help break down the stereotypes often attached to homeless people.

More than 20 homelessness agencies are involved in the project - ranging from growing the plants from seedlings, to creating the garden on the Chelsea site using pre existing horticulture and construction skills. The garden will also be manned by a number of service users for the duration of the Show.

Richard Cunningham, manager of the HCA's major capital funding improvement programme for homeless service users, Places of Change, welcomed the overwhelming response to taking part:

"We are delighted that so many homeless service users have got on board with this exciting project. This is proof of what can be achieved if you just give disadvantaged people the opportunity.  It shows how the negative stereotypes often associated with homeless people as being without hope are simply not true.

"The fact is, homelessness needn't mean hopeless; everyone has potential, and with proper support and encouragement this potential can be realised, allowing people to move forward with their lives. We want to open doors, not close them. This is what we're trying to achieve with Places of Change, and the example set by the Key garden".

A young man working on the project at Crewe YMCA said, "I've been in trouble a lot and got kicked out of home.  I've lived at the YMCA once before, but since coming back this time I've got really interested in the garden project and have been planting bedding plants, building the greenhouse and I've helped to set up the allotment sites too. 

"I can't wait to see what the garden looks like when it's finished  - I really feel that I've done a good job and can't believe that I'm now really interested in gardening!  It's really helped me to feel good about myself."

The centrepiece of the garden is a huge vertical green wall of plants, measuring 65 feet by seven feet, and incorporating 4,000 young and tender plants. In all, ten thousand plants will make up the garden.  Jenny Edwards, Chief Executive of Homeless Link, which has been co-ordinating service user involvement in the development of the garden, added:

"We are delighted to be involved in this fantastic project. This is about making connections and enabling homeless people to show their talents.  Homeless people from across the country are growing, making and presenting this beautiful green wall. This is a lesson for all of us in how to make connections and work together to unlock creative solutions to the environmental challenges our society faces. "

From the growing centres and homelessness hostels around the country, the garden will enter its final phase when it is transported to its site in Chelsea on 28th April, for completion in situ on 15th May in time for the Show. The sowing and planting phase has been overseen by the Eden Project, who also designed the garden in collaboration with the charity Architecture sans Frontières.

Reinforcing the message about unlocking potential, the garden also incorporates a path made up of thousands of old keys, donated by Timpson branches across the country.

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