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Community groups in Thornhill, South Wales have been working together to develop a community garden to help make Thornhill a better, safer and more pleasant place for everyone to live. Local residents identified the need to improve the existing community centre and worked hard to transform a patch of derelict wasteground into a vibrant and precious community garden. BTCV Cymru has been working in the Thornhill estate for several years to encourage everyone to brighten up the estate. Nearly 40% of Thornhill's population is under the age of 19, and it is located in an area that lacks community resources and suffers from a high rate of crime and unemployment. BTCV Cymru has been working with local community group, Thornhill 4 U to plan improvements to the community centre. The area surrounding the centre was a wasteground, so an ambitious plan was developed to transform it into a community garden with something for everyone. Consultation events were held to ensure that everyone in the community had the chance to say what they wanted to see in the garden. Ideas included recycled furniture, seating and play areas, barbecue area and ceramic tiles bearing the names of groups and individuals. The project reinforces the idea that quality of public spaces really does matter to people and sends out powerful messages about the state of the community. Communities face so many barriers to practical action. From simply not knowing who to talk to for information, to lacking the skills and confidence to get the job done. So BTCV's approach has been straightforward - to provide an individually-tailored mix of support for each community. By listening closely to a community's aspirations and looking at the issues they face, we have been able to deliver support and practical help to those communities. This project is an excellent example of how nature conservation can empower the community and enhance community pride. The longer term sustainability of the project has now been established. A weekly gardening club has been set up and has already attracted a wide range of members including people who are disabled and hearing-impaired. Thanks to Prudential, which own the nearby Cwmbran Shopping Centre, £10,000 was offered from their Grass Roots programme to get the project underway. The community promptly swung into action and raised the remaining £10,500 through funding from the Communities Trust fund and Torfaen Community Halls Department. All content copyright © 1986-2008 BTCV Ltd. Registered charity No. 261009 |
