Our community consultation events have demonstrated the need for a new, inter-generational self-managed community growing space in the town. We have been given a 1.5 acre site by Barrow Borough Council for a pepper corn rent to base the project upon and now want to deliver a community engagement strategy through which we will grow the community’s knowledge of, and skills in, permaculture by:

* Delivering a two day training programme for up to 20 adult volunteers;

* Host three public ‘growth’ weekend events in April, June and September led by volunteers.

* Organising two day long visits to other exemplar wild flower sites in the North West between April and June for the volunteers;

* Organising a one day celebration event in October which celebrates what they have achieved.

What we'll deliver:

• Provide permaculture skills and knowledge for local people
• Animate a local barren green site with horticulture and design;
• Develop a cluster of community architectural spaces on the site.

Why it's a great idea:

It’s a great idea because it much more than a traditional allotment: our community space will be developed along principles of permaculture, ensuring a holistic approach to sustainable, ecologically friendly horticulture, art and design.

We are committed to this as a long term project during which we will support the management group to build its confidence and capacity so they can continue to collaborate with artists and horticulturalists to create a new, contemporary spaces which reflect the diversity of our native wild flowers.

Nurturing the volunteers, their management group and welcoming new people regularly to the project will be critical for its long term success . We will achieve this by ensuring the benefits to individuals and communities are regularly documented and communicated to as wide a range of audiences as possible.

Steps to get it done:

• Employing local artists, designers and architects to provide the visual elements
• Employing local horticulturalists to support the permacultural elements

Art Gene is a registered charity which specialises in working with the communities of Barrow. We are committed to long term processes of community regeneration of the social, natural and built environment which we do by building in-depth, long-term relationships with communities, clients, stakeholders and partners through the use of art and design.

Our community consultation events have demonstrated the need for a new, inter-generational self-managed community growing space in the town. We have also identified over 30 Barrow residents, some with multiple health and social needs, who are interested in leading and participating in the project.

We would welcome support in growing our group as follows:
Team Building: skills in how to build and sustain teams,
Marketing and promotion: skills in promotion and communications,
Site development: advice on how to sustain a wild flower sanctuary