New Community Garden opens in usual place
Sandwiched between three residential streets, the Knowle West Community Garden is accessed via the Belfast Walk cul-de-sac.
Filwood Residents Association took over the council-owned site in December last year, transforming it from an overgrown dumping ground into a wildlife haven.
The space was officially opened by Broadbury Road Police Station chief inspector Mike Buck who said “The garden is a testament to what a thriving community Knowle West is."
The opening ceremony included an acoustic performance from Bristol Ensemble, a pebble-painting workshop by Filwood Community Centre and more.
The garden includes raised beds, fruit trees and a pond – a stark contrast to how it used to be. Until the residents association had it cleared, the site was head-high in brambles and full of rubbish.
“It helps with my mental health and it’s putting something back into the community,” said volunteer site manager Simon Foster, who played a key role in its transformation and is responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of the garden.
Community activist Carol Casey, who set up Filwood Residents Association, has also been helping to create the garden and secured the land for it.
“All the green spaces are being taken for housing, so this will not have housing on it and stay within our community,” added Carol, an independent advisor for Avon and Somerset Police.
The garden also has a tea hut, made by Knowle West Media Centre (KWMC), which will come in handy for the coffee mornings held there. There are also plans for a men’s mental health group and yoga class to use the space, and a section will be used as a children’s play area.
A nature-focused section includes a fox house and bug house, while bird feeders hang from the fruit trees on the site.
For the opening day, plaques, made by young people at KWMC: The Factory, were placed next to some of the trees to dedicate them to people in Knowle West who have passed away, including the son of Filwood councillor Chris Jackson.
Chris added at the opening: “It’s an absolutely fantastic local facility. It’s just a beautiful place to come, sit down and relax. I ask anybody to come up and support this local project.”
#peoplepower #goodnews #bristol
I’m a diversity consultant and a design and communications consultant. I help people and organisations develop vision, communicate and deliver cultural change.