Beck Bottom Community Garden
'Nature needs all the help it can get at the moment and we've seen how much people appreciate the positive changes that have taken place in the park, too.'
Beck Bottom Community Garden Group
'It's just a bit of gardening – it's easy!' says one of the Beck Bottom Community Garden Group. Welcoming anyone and everyone – no skills required – the group simply share a passion for gardening and take great pride in the upkeep of their area. In looking after it, they've created a pocket haven for nature and a space for people of all ages to come together and make a connection.
Here's more from them:
'We meet up every Saturday morning at 10am (weather permitting!) to carry out gardening duties and general upkeep of a once-derelict area of former parkland.
Our aim is to maintain and enhance the area known as Beck Bottom, Hensingham (near Whitehaven) for the local community while promoting horticultural education, physical and mental health through gardening, in partnership with Copeland Borough Council Open Spaces Department.
Now, Beck Bottom is an attractive and cared-for green space accessible to all – especially wildlife! We've planted seasonal formal flower beds, rose beds, wildflower meadow areas and blossom trees to attract birds, bees, butterflies, insects and other creatures.
And we've got so many plans for the future, from herbaceous borders and further wildflower areas to a herb garden and footpath improvements, to name a few! Seeing the array of butterflies and other insects in the garden spurs us on to make it even better.
One highlight has been getting the funding from the Cumbria County Council Environment Fund to enable us to plant 21 blossom trees to encourage more pollinators and birds, improve the pathways, extend the rose bed and create our own composting area amongst other things. The composting area allows us to recycle all of our gardening waste and we also practice organic gardening.
By welcoming everyone to our group, we also hope to help people suffering from loneliness and social isolation. We all enjoy a good chat while gardening and have formed many new friendships. We're part of Copeland Borough Council's Social Prescribing Programme, which helps people improve their health and wellbeing by connecting them with a range of groups, activities and services.
The comments from the local community when they walk through the park and stop to chat about the work that is being carried out really help to make our volunteering worthwhile. Nature needs all the help it can get at the moment and we've seen how much people appreciate the positive changes that have taken place in the park, too.
Discover ways to help wildlife in the garden
Get in touch with Beck Bottom Community Garden Group