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• BIG garden project has great impact on community

• Date:

  24th July 2008

• Contact:

  Sarah Egerton

• Organisation:

  The Civic Trust

Just a few minutes from Colchester's bustling town centre, a unique garden project is having a huge impact on the local community - and this was today recognised as an innovation award winner for conservation and heritage - a new accolade under the umbrella of the Green Flag Award scheme.

High Woods Country Park is well valued by the town’s residents - in particular, through its BIG Garden Project which was made possible last year with Heritage Lottery Funding worth £37,000. The inspiration behind the project was to provide a community space to grow organic food in a sustainable way and promote health and wellbeing through gardening. The project also set out to enhance the site’s wildlife and diversity and promote sustainable woodland management and traditional woodland skills and crafts.

It was planned that the project would extend an already successful woodland garden, which contained native and historical plants and was cared for by regular volunteers. Health groups who already used the park were consulted, along with the Primary Care Trust (PCT), hospice and the local hospital. There was a long waiting list for allotments in Colchester and people on the waiting list were also invited to visit the garden. Working with a cross service team, parks management put together the bid for funding. 

The bid was successful and work began on an empty field to plant a 180m hedge to act as a windbreak, needed to provide shelter for the organic vegetable area and orchard. The garden was designed in three main areas: a woodland garden with native and historical plants, an organic vegetable garden and an orchard - a unique project aiming to establish over 30 varieties of Essex apple, many of which are in decline.

Now established but constantly evolving, this successful project is widely promoted to local schools, families with young children, older people, people with disabilities and those who would benefit from horticultural therapy. It also works closely with an employment advisor at Essex County Council to provide long term volunteering and help build skills and confidence in the unemployed Colchester and Ipswich Museum Service have been involved in many of the community events and activities running workshops at local schools using storytelling and natural dying techniques using plants from the garden.  A local professional photographer is also working towards a memory book of the garden and display material.

A further years funding has now been secured, thanks to the PCT, for a community gardener - a trained horticultural therapist who will deliver benefits to people with mental health problems, learning difficulties and younger people as well as people with physical health disabilities and the local community.

Yovone Cook, Parks Development Officer said: “It is likely that GPs will be referring people to the scheme.  We will also be looking at training up volunteers to work in the garden so it can be open when the gardener is not around.

She added: “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.”