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• Managing Organisation:

  Colchester Borough Council

• Contact:

  Paul Vickers

• Telephone:

  01206282963 

• View Map:

  Click here for winner's location

Project Information

The BIG Garden is a unique community project that aims to promote the area’s
agricultural heritage and look forward to the future with new techniques of sustainable
agriculture. We want local people to know that the park once consisted of farms and
orchards. The garden is a community project and it is promoted to families with young
children, older people, people with disabilities and those who would benefit from
horticultural therapy.

The garden will have three main areas: woodland garden with native and historical
plants, an organic vegetable garden and an orchard area. As well as providing a variety
of learning opportunities, the project aims to increase biodiversity, including the planting
of Essex apple trees.

In order to realise this project and with the aid of Heritage Lottery funding, we have
created the post of a part-time gardener, who encourages active community participation
through working with community groups and local people.

Working in partnership with the Colchester Museum Service, activities have and will be
run that raise awareness of the cultural history of the site, such as weaving and traditional
coppice crafts using plants from the garden.

We hope our project will give people more access to locally grown organic food, the
chance to get more physical activity from gardening, and an opportunity to learn about
the park’s varied history. We believe the garden will attract many more people to the
park and allow them a unique way of getting more involved.