The home of Escape is The Old Slaughterhouse Heritage & Arts Centre, supporting over 350 project participants and 160 volunteers, 6000 visitors. Once derelict and forgotten, Escape rescued this Grade ll listed building transforming it into a vibrant, community hub hosting inclusive creative workshops, social activities, events and local exhibitions. The building sits in a concrete courtyard and yard which once was a place of beauty with ornate features, ponds and walkways. Our project will revive this heritage 'The Lost Garden of Avon', transforming the area through creative installations, innovate planting & wildlife areas and an undercover community space. It will enable a programme of exciting creative gardening/nature projects for all ages and provide additional all year space for varied community activities and events.

What we'll deliver:

• Build an undercover outdoor gazebo area 'The Cowshed' to extend community activities and events across the year.
• Provide materials and construction costs to support 36 participatory arts workshops to transform the space
• Commission 2 pieces of public art pieces to contribute to arts & heritage trail.
• Commission signage to contribute to heritage trail and improve signposting and access.
• To produce publicity material to advcocate the space, its use and increase footfall.
• To develop promotion film to showcase the work and the funders/stakeholders involved.

Why it's a great idea:

We have consulted with the community and identified that there is more demand for our services than our current space can accommodate. This project will provide a fantastic outdoor space, regenerating an ugly area in the very heart of one of one of our most historic towns. It will bring the fascinating lost heritage of the site back to life and increase footfall to this area, through our community wellbeing programmes, our core workshops and as a visitor destination, involving local businesses in showcasing installations as part of the heritage trail. It will support new volunteer opportunities and new creative work with Escape's core groups including: Paper Moon-supporting adults with learning disabilities; Stratford Escape-adult project addressing mental health/isolation; VIPS-older people and our youth/family work. It provides a great opportunity to develop new delivery community partnerships in a vibrant, space which is led by and celebrates local people and local stories.

Steps to get it done:

• Project publicity completed - Feb 2019
• Press involvement once funding confirmed - Jan 2019
• Project Launch - Feb 2019
• Commission Signage - Jan 2019
• Cowshed Construction Company Recruited - Jan 2019
• Landscaper/Gardener confirmed -Jan 2019
• Volunteer Recruitment - Volunteer Project Launch March 2019
• Cowshed Build Feb 2019
• Workshop Delivery Programme - Jan-March 2019
• Public Artist Commission - Jan 2019
• Public Art Installation March 2019

In 2018 Escape received the MBE for Volunteer Services – the Queens Award, the highest national recognition for everyone involved.The community and our volunteers will be engaged in the design and the execution of this project having the opportunity to work alongside the designer and builders to influence the final design, also to take a hands on role in the actual creation through exciting new volunteer opportunities, learning new practical sustainable and transferable skills during the construction. For over 20 years we have been building strong, happy communities, reducing isolation, supporting wellbeing and improving quality of life for all involved through our diverse programme of inclusive community activities, this project will directly help us to expand our services whilst regenerating a community space. We have the vision and passion to make this project succeed and can demonstrate quality and impact through recent awards. We have the required permissions and just need you!