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Grove Park Bug Palace

Funded on Spacehive 28 February 2018 Delivered 31 May 2019

Impact data and claims within this report are provided by the project creator and have not been independently verified by Spacehive.

Grove Park Bug Palace

Osprey Outdoors Community Interest Company ltd By Osprey Outdoors Community Interest Company ltd

Osprey Outdoors are teaming up with Friends of Grove Park to create a Bug Palace in a fenced area around a park pond. This is first stage in establishing a mini nature reserve promoting biodiversity.

Weston-super-Mare Delivery stage

68
backers
£11,176
raised
funded icon
This project was funded on 28 Feb 2018!

A new Bug Palace is going to be created adjacent to an existing wildlife pond in Grove Park. The development will be a protected biodiversity area for natural wildlife, promoting local interest, local involvement, and local education on wildlife and town parks . The Bug Palace will be the first step in creating a thriving ecosystem. The lower part of the park is a formally laid out Victorian park with a Band Stand, lawns and clipped hedges. The top of the park consists of a couple of ponds, grassy areas and old rockeries. This whole area has been neglected for many years and is in need of regeneration. The plan is to create a more natural environment for wildlife, and for the local community to enjoy. The wildlife will be encouraged into the park and the education of the local community about the different areas of the park will follow, including what they might expect to see. The Bug Palace will be the first step in a thriving ecosystem with new plants surrounding it.

What we'll deliver:

  • Create a Bug Palace
  • Make a natural space for wildlife
  • Enhance wildlife education
  • Enjoy local community support

Why it's a great idea:

Grove park is Weston super Mare’s most Central Park. With government austerity measures, the park has been neglected and become an area plagued by litter and antisocial behaviour. The ponds and rockeries became overgrown and plants have died off with resulting loss of habitat and loss of biodiversity.. Friends of Grove Park have pledged to make this area a place for everyone to enjoy. With local people being key to change, a sense of ownership of the area and enhanced local connection is evident. This in turn is facilitating peoples return engagement and involvement with renewed enthusiasm to see how their work is thriving, and look after it. Four signboards will be created to explain the importance of the biodiversity and what animals you may see in the park. If people know what they are looking at and why it is important they will understand the need to look after it.

Steps to get it done:

  • Structural materials for the Bug Palace sourced
  • Plants purchased
  • Advertising Events
  • Initiating and Procuring Information Boards
  • First weekend - Creating Palace structure and Hotel for inhabitants
  • Second weekend - Preparing intrinsic elements of Palace, construction materials, creating birdboxes
  • Third weekend - Planting around Palace, and completion of Palace

Situated above a small pond, inhabited by newts, dragonflies, frogs and insects, is a vertical rock face with a flat area on top. This is fenced behind and adjacent to trees and bushes. This is where the Bug Palace will be. The area immediately below the Palace is a south facing wall, below which is an area where the tarmac has been lifted. These areas will be planted with ground cover plants encouraging insect, bird, reptile and rodent biodiversity. We will also put up more bird boxes in the nearby trees to encourage nesting. The basic infrastructure of the Bug Palace will be old pallets and logs. The project will build these structures on Friday with volunteers from adult community groups. On Saturday the local people who live around the park, families, youth and community groups such as the scouts and guides will be invited to create the actual Hotel and Apartments for the bugs, which will be placed in the Palace. The project will be three consecutive Fridays and Saturdays.

Location Weston-super-Mare

About the space

Grove Park, Rockery

Council

North Somerset Council

How will the money be spent?Total £10,864

1 large Sign Board Costs - £2,638 (24%)
Staff Costs - £2,160 (20%)
6 Staff days, Plants, compost, bird box kits, Use of tools - £1,900 (17%)
Safety equipment, logs, pallets, Tool use - £900 (8%)
Safety equipment, Tool use, refreshment equipment - £750 (7%)
Administration Staff costs - £750 (7%)
4 small Signboards cost - £462 (4%)
Transport costs - £360 (3%)
Refreshments - £300 (3%)
Advertising Costs - £200 (2%)
Other - £444 (4%)

Costs Breakdown

This shows how money raised for the project will be spent. These costs have been confirmed by the project's Delivery Manager and verified.

24%
1 large Sign Board Costs
£2,638
20%
Staff Costs
£2,160
17%
6 Staff days, Plants, compost, bird box kits, Use of tools
£1,900
8%
Safety equipment, logs, pallets, Tool use
£900
7%
Safety equipment, Tool use, refreshment equipment
£750
7%
Administration Staff costs
£750
4%
4 small Signboards cost
£462
3%
Transport costs
£360
3%
Refreshments
£300
2%
Advertising Costs
£200
4%
Other Read More
£444
  • Spacehive fees
    £343
  • VAT
    £69
  • Transaction Fees
    £32

Total £10,864

Our Volunteer List

We're currently looking for people to offer skills and time to develop our project! Check out the list of what we need below and then use the 'Volunteer' button to the right to get involved.

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