We will build on our community food and flower garden for wildlife creating a green roof and installing bee houses
Describe your project briefly and tell us what the funds will be used for.
Cherishers provides care, companionship and communication to the vulnerable in Staffordshire as a free community service. We promote independence and our activities combat isolation and loneliness.
Cherishers understands the impact of the cost of living crisis and is looking at ways to help people cope. We have a community wellbeing room and outside space with garden planters for food/flowers.
We now want to add a green roof with irrigation system to our community shop to support wildlife, host bee houses, and plant hanging baskets for shop frontage.
Cherishers understand the importance of being with nature, as well as producing food during the cost of living crisis. We successfully crowdfunded in 2023 to make raised beds that are disabled access friendly for growing food and flowers to support our local environment and local bees. We know how important it is to make a space for nature. We recognise how this can help with the emotional wellbeing of our community building resilience and gaining knowledge as well as providing vegetables for our lunch clubs!
Cherishers raised beds and community garden is already helping – and we now want to build a Green roof, and a few more beds to help nature restoration by boosting local biodiversity, as well as a place for bees – we will install bee and bug houses for solitary bees and also investigate if we can have our own bee hives on the roof!
We understand the importance of nature, for emotional wellbeing of our community. We want to create a green roof with irrigation system as a restored space to increase biodiversity. This also connects our community to nature encouraging collaboration as they work together tending the flowers and vegetables We will install bug houses for solitary bees and hanging baskets for the community shop. We would like to add a webcam too so those unable to get to the roof can view nature there instead.
We are building nature connectedness and pro-environmental behaviours by supporting community connection to nature and pro-environmental behaviours and Community cohesion and connection fostering nature positive activity encouraging collaboration in the local community, connecting people of diverse backgrounds, generations, and abilities to support wildlife and grow food.
The green roof will be a natural environment on unused space, the irrigation system will save water - boosting biodiversity, and encouraging our community to connect with nature. Pro-environmental behaviours are developed through showcasing the space, even via webcam. The hanging baskets can host vegetables as well as flowers. We drive community connection by fostering nature positive activity - encouraging visitors to plant in their own spaces, sharing knowledge and seeds
When it rains on a green roof, the rainfall will penetrate and slowly saturate the soil. This will naturally reduce the amount and rate of water flowing off the roof surface. On site drainage/water control systems can then be reduced in size/minimized due to the reduced amount and rate of runoff. This will often result in cost savings for the building owner. Reducing storm water runoff from a site can also help reduce the amount of toxins flowing into the storm sewer and natural bodies of water.
We will spend the money on:
- Creating a Green Roof including deck, vapour control, insulation, waterproof membrane, drainage, filter, substrate and green roof seed mix, and installation.
- 2 raised beds to grow food and flowers, selection of plants and seeds, compost and fertiliser
- Bee houses for solitary bees Advice/support from a gardening export to increase plant biodiversity and provide a bee friendly space as well as efficient food pollination and growth.
- Webcam and associated technology including electric and monitors so wildlife roof garden can be viewed within our community shop lunch club/ therapy spaces