Plan, map and diagram labelling

Narrator: Part 2. You will hear a volunteer giving a talk to visitors at a community garden open day.

Guide: Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the Millbrook Community Garden open day. My name's Helen, and I've been a volunteer here for six years. Before you explore, I'll give you a quick idea of where everything is. Please look at the plan in your leaflet.

Guide: Just a couple of practical points first. The toilets are in the small brick building just outside the gate, next to the bike racks, and they're accessible for wheelchair users. Most of the paths inside the garden are wide and flat, although the ones around the pond can be a bit muddy after rain, so do take care there. And if you have small children with you, please keep an eye on them near the water – the pond is deeper than it looks. We've also got free tea and homemade cakes in the marquee by the gate all day, made by our volunteers.

Guide: We're standing at the main gate, on the south side of the garden. As you come in through the gate, the first thing on your right is the herb garden. It's lovely at this time of year, so do take a moment to smell the plants. Directly opposite the herb garden, on the other side of the path, you'll see the tool shed. That's where volunteers collect everything they need at the start of a session.

Guide: If you walk straight ahead from the gate, you'll come to the pond, which is right in the middle of the garden. To the left of the pond, as you face it, is the children's garden, where local schools grow their own vegetables. People sometimes expect the beehives to be up near the greenhouse, but in fact we keep them on the east side of the pond, well away from the children's area.

Guide: The greenhouse is at the northern end of the garden, in the centre. And the compost area is in the far corner, beyond the greenhouse on the right-hand side. It's a long way from the gate, but that's deliberate, because it can get a bit smelly in summer! The space in the opposite corner, on the left of the greenhouse, is empty at the moment, but we're hoping to turn it into a wildflower meadow next year.

Guide: Now, a little about our history. A lot of visitors assume the garden was once part of the old factory next door, but actually the land was a car park until about twelve years ago. When the council decided it wasn't needed, a group of neighbours asked if they could use it, and we've been here ever since.

Guide: We're always looking for new volunteers. We have plenty of people at weekends, but where we're really short is on weekday mornings, when there's watering and weeding to be done. Even an hour a week makes a difference.

Guide: People often ask what happens to the vegetables. We did try running a market stall once, but it took up too much time. Volunteers are welcome to take a little home, but most of what we grow goes to the food bank on the high street.

Guide: If you'd like to join us, it couldn't be simpler. There's no membership fee, and we lend all the tools, so you don't need to buy anything. You don't even have to fill in a form online. Just come along any Saturday morning, and the first thing you'll do is a short safety talk with one of our team leaders.

Guide: Finally, a change to today's programme. The beekeeping demonstration was going to take place outside by the hives at three o'clock. We're expecting quite a crowd, which is great, but that isn't the problem: the forecast says heavy rain this afternoon, so we've moved it into the greenhouse. The time hasn't changed. Right, enjoy your visit!