Edgware faces the challenge of high street decline, which is affecting shoppers attitude, as they are choosing alternative shopping centres. To help mitigate against this, Edgware Town Team are keen to enhance the town centre by beautifying the high street with flowers and greenery. We are raising funds to purchase seasonal flowers and solar lighting. We will add hanging baskets and flower boxes to make the high street welcoming and presentable to encourage people to feel positive and add civic pride. This will discourage Anti social behaviour and increase a sense of ownership and well-being. Being within a mile of beautiful parks and countryside, we are seeking to bring this atmosphere close to the town centre to gain rural benefits within the urban environment. We want to increase community participation and involvement. If everybody in Edgware gives £1 we will easily have enough to launch this fantastic project and make this this a reality!

What we'll deliver:

• Install Hanging baskets, Flower boxes and planters along the town centre
• Add solar lighting onto existing trees to add atmopshere
• H2O 2 Go cart

Why it's a great idea:

This project will aim to increase interaction between residents and businesses within the Town Centre. It will counter act against ASB including littering. It will increase economic footfall, dwell time and make the Town Centre more aesthetically pleasing when people visit and encourage them to return. We are aware that many local residents do not travel outside of the town for various reasons and therefore this is the only time they will get to experience seeing flowers and existing trees and gain a sense of wellbeing. We are also trying to encourage local people to stay local and shop local rather than having to use transport which pollutes the environment. We hope that the project will reach out to schools and youth organisations, teaching the children about wildlife and the environment, engaging them to look after and own the place that they live and then work. We hope that the solar lights will add a magical feel to the town centre throughout the year and seasons.

Steps to get it done:

• Spring/Summer planting
• Autumn/Winter Planting
• Solar lighting for trees - spring 2019
• Planted area on station road in front of the centre - spring 2019
• H2O 2 Go cart

This is a tried and tested method which was successful in the past however due to lack of funds it had to be discontinued. Residents and businesses continue to to be nostalgic about periods when the flowers were in place and Edgware was a more vibrant place to visit. This will compliment and add value to St Margaret Church’s nature conservation project, which will create a new community sanctuary for all with beautiful and sensory flowers including a lavender border along the high street.