We are building a new Skills Training Centre for The Ridge's apprentices and students who struggle in school. Doing so will damage the Empire Close community garden so we will use the funding to rebuild the central stone wall, replant for biodiversity, lay whindust paths, create an apothecary garden/ pizza oven/outdoor social space/cooking facilities for trainees/volunteers and the wider community.
We will run skills training/crafting and social events like BBQs, live music, activities, training, creating connections and a legacy environmental asset.
Our gardens are places of meeting, learning and growth (actual and metaphorical). People will engage across generations/social barriers, learning skills in the process. Supported by a biodiversity officer, they will design, create and care for a habitat-rich and biodiverse garden, celebrating native wild species. We will run workshops and create materials to engage the community with ideas for how to implement this approach at community and individual levels
In short, we want support to bring back the community garden at Empire Close so that the community can once again enjoy it.