The Rev. Richard Bellinger and Sandra Crittell are part of the Caritas Community Charitable Trust. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 0833475)

A GROWING market garden project is helping young people turn their lives around.

The Caritas Community Charitable Trust is led by the Rev. Richard Bellinger and was formed in 2007.

Its aim was to establish a residential community to ‘welcome, support and nourish young people in difficulty, distress or need’.

Mr Bellinger said the idea was to create a community, not a home, where people, primarily young men aged between the ages of 18 and 25, could get back on their feet.

Part of this was the market garden project.

‘I have found it a very moving experience,’ said Mr Bellinger. ‘Most of the young people have responded in a very positive way to the experience, they are all very good-natured.’

When Guernsey motorcyclist Ben Davies died in an accident last year at the age of 25, his family were keen to get involved with the charity.

Following his death, donations were invited to the charity, which helped establish the gardens initiative in fields in St Peter’s.

Now 25,000 carrots are being harvested, along with 5,000 parsnips and another 5,000 beetroot. In addition, 1,500 celeriac are growing, as are 400 red cabbages.

Mr Bellinger and Sandra Crittell, one of the core-resident members of the charity’s team, have planted 10,000 leeks.