Following the main Sense of Place Conference was the Community Green Spaces day which showcased some current initiatives and brought together the people working on them.
Clay Futures Project – Blackpool Dryers Eco Town Site, 700Ha
Presented by Heidi of Sensory Trust and Juliet of Eden
This project was heralded throughout the conference as an example of best practice. The project has created a space for conversation, has been a very inclusive process and has been very successful at engaging the community. The inclusive process involved creating a wide range of activities including cutting and sticking, looking at aerial maps, creating films about their place… the whole process was designed to help people feel confident in presenting their thoughts.
To help establish a new sense of community people were asked to design a new celebration for their community. This brought up ideas of what people thought was worth celebrating and also what they saw a sense of community as. It also brought up a positive connection to place.
People were then asked what they would like to change. The aerial maps really helped and may people focused on the green space around their community. It was interesting too that it brought out some very different ideas and feelings, for example some people thought that the green space should be used as a buffer between the community and the new eco town, where as others saw it being developed as a shared meeting/linking space.
When asked what types of homes they wanted, access to green spaces was a priority, as was energy efficiency, safe walking to amenities and affordability. They also wanted the homes to be low density and reflect local character. Teenagers wanted clubs and social spaces and open and green spaces were the second on their list.
Most people wanted their celebrations to be held outside.
When asked what new places they would like to see, they were all outdoors; places to ride bikes, natural play areas, allotments, skate parks and community gardens.
When asked what green spaces they value they said; public parks and play spaces, walking, cycling, natural/wild areas and places to grow things.
When asked what would make them use these spaces more the answers were; accessibility, growing space, better maintenance
When children were asked the most common things they wanted was more flowers in their environment, in lots of different colours.
Gardening in Later Life
Presented by Angie Hart of CUPP
The Community Gardens in Later Life and Edible Campus projects are CUPP initiatives, created in response to the fact that people are retiring in better health and are more active. They are also living longer, but with ailments.
People in old age are not kept active. They move into retirement homes or sheltered housing and do little. This has negative physical and psychological implications.
Sheltered housing centre already had a gardener so had to be approached with care. Lots of different attitudes to this from residents. Some worried that they were stepping on his toes or he would lose his job, whilst others questioned why they should be gardening when he gets paid for it! After lots of debate and discussion, the residents decided that he could do the grass and the driveway and carparks, and they would do the fun bits; flower beds, bulbs and shrubs.
Then there was the question of how to work. Some people wanted to work together, an others wanted their own little bit of garden.
The ideas for what to do next include writing a newsletter to tell other residents what is happening and how they can get involved (another member of the community might want to be newsletter editor).
Although there is often lots of expertise among old people with regard to gardening, in this case there wasn’t so much so an expert was brought in.
Bugle Greenspace
Presented by Kevin
Bugle Greenspace is a volunteer led group working at the community level to influence their local surroundings. They run regular activities so that people can start to get involved in the local community and effect change for a sustainable future.
The group started in April 2008 in response to the eco town announcement. The plan was to build houses on an old industrial and on open spaces in the current community. The plan was for 500 houses, a 33% increase on what is currently there.
The green spaces in and around Bugle are very old and well established and so are really rich in wildlife. Residents were outraged that this was going to be lost. Also when they looked at the plans, they found that the developers were going to build on the current green spaces and then turn the old industrial places into green spaces!
Questionnaire sent to community revealed that 91% of people wanted to keep the green spaces. 75% wanted allotments. They also had interests in farmers markets.
The community concerns and ideas were put to Imerys who revised their plans to take into account community ideas and conserve more green spaces. The new plans looks to fit into the environment much more naturally. There are also plans to use fruit trees for the avenues .
Although it was around the issue of the eco town that they were motivated to get together, members of the Bugle community have also been doing other projects in their green spaces. An unloved area that was full of rubbish has been cleaned up. They did this with no funding, just volunteers and borrowed resources. 45 people of all ages got involved in the clean up.
A second day was then organised which involved 2 options – some people worked inside on projects such as bug home and bird box building (boxes have been used by birds this year) and others went back to the clean up site. Having contacted the Parish they had permission to do something with it, they were given fruit trees by Eden, cut the grass etc. They managed to get bins given to them for free but have had to raise a little money for some things. When it was all complete they had a Picnic in the Park day which they held on the National Big Lunch Day. This included sack races and games, with prizes scrounged from local business and a raffle. Imerys provided a Marquee.
The next steps for the community are to keep the momentum going and prevent the return of apathy. They are currently looking at the development of a bike track and some allotments and the continue discussion with Imerys regarding the eco town.
Kevin’s final words
- it is important to tell others what you are doing – then you get support
- if you get off your bum you get results
- don’t let the apathy get you down!!
Diggin it – Plymouth Community Garden
Presented by Jeannie Robinson and Dave Sharp
Diggin it is a community project by Routeways designed to connect lots of groups within the community through gardening.
Funding was obtained through the Big Lottery to fund 3 positions and a site, then covered in brambles, close to the city centre was found. The project was about growing food and teaching people to grow food. People brought in together not in groups of similar types (had seen examples of where drug abusers all together, or blind people all together etc. becomes dysfunctional at break times as all talk about their problems/biggest fix etc instead of moving on). The biggest change was seen in people with mental health problems.
Unfortunately, as with many projects there is difficulty in securing ongoing funding. People want to fund new projects instead. Have had to change project to get more funding.
The gardening is organic but they are not certified as the cost of certification is too high. Sell their produce and have recently acquired a shed to use as a shop on the premises.
St Neot Doorstep Green
Presented by Derek
St Neot Doorstep Green is an inspiring green space developed on land donated by a villager with the help of a £60,000 grant.
It includes sweeping paths an amphitheatre and has direct access for the school.
The project came about when the land was donated but was unable to be used for its intended purpose (a bowling green and tennis court) due to the slope down to the river. It was also landlocked with buildings on 3 sides and a river on the fourth so a bridge had to be built.
At the start of the development some ideas were put down on a paper and a 2 day long community consultation was held. The ideas of the community were then used to revise the plans and another day consultation was held. After a few more amendments they started looking for grants.
The plans changed along the way but Derek stressed the importance of befriending your funder when this is happening. Invite them down lots – let your project be part of their personal achievement and they will support you all the way.
Over 2000 voluntary hours went into the project and this included people from all aspects of the community.
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