Volunteers who know about gardening will teach younger people how to plant, grow and care for lovely produce which they can then enjoy with their family. In the process, children will learn about the importance of pollinators, birds, bees, butterflies and insects and help to improve the biodiversity in the park. Kids will plant native trees and pollinating plants including a wildflower area, build bird boxes and learn about wildlife. We want children and young people of all ages and abilities to spend more time their little pocket woodland town centre park and catch some of the magic that nature can offer. We’ve raised significant funding to develop the space with accessible pathways and seating, inclusive play equipment and sensory surfacing. We now need to fund-raise for our community garden so hope you can help our kids learn that strawberries don’t come from supermarkets but from the soil!

What we'll deliver:

• Teach children how to plant and grow their own food
• Help children to encourage more pollinators into the park
• Improve biodiversity in our local park

Why it's a great idea:

The research is clear that children need more opportunities to play and spend time out of doors. Being outside improves their physical health and mental well-being. If this is combined with having fun through play and activities that are age, stage and ability appropriate then that is a winning combination. Our inclusive play park will provide something for everyone but is so much more than just a play space. Our community garden will offer children and young people opportunities to grow their own food, learn skills for life and take part in all sorts of little project which will help them understand more about the magic of nature. Children and young people of all abilities need more opportunities to learn and grow together so that the differences between them are minimised and seem less important. We hope in a small way to help our children and young people to develop into the next generation inspired by nature.

Steps to get it done:

• The raised beds are planted
• Native trees are planted
• The wildflower area is planted

Our project is essentially an inclusive play project but in developing the community garden at the request of children and families, we could not resist helping this project to become so much more.