In September 2019, the Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park (FoTHCP) received an ‘Our Space Award’ from Groundwork. The funding enabled FoTHCP to work with the local community to further improve green areas in Shandy Park, a park they’ve been working in since the start of their Nature & Us project.
The Groundwork project involved planting flowering bulbs and wildflower plugs, sowing wild flower seeds, and raking cut grass with the local community. A contractor was even hired to remove an area of disused tarmac in the park, which the community then planted.
It was a HUGE success from start to finish. Even COVID-19 didn’t cancel the project, FoTHCP just had to postpone completing it until last month (October ’20). “It felt amazing to be back in Shandy Park, and to be reunited with some of the amazing participants we’ve worked with throughout the project” says Michelle, FoTHCP’s Community Outreach Coordinator.
Here are some quick stats to show what the project achieved:
- 6000 flowering bulbs planted
- 5000 wildflower plugs planted
- 6kg wildflower seed sown
- 376 people participated over 1,052 hours
- 110m2 of disused tarmac was removed and planted
- 3000m2 area was removed of cut grass to reduce soil fertility and improve biodiversity
- Overall, 3110m2 of the park was improved for nature and people
FoTHCP are grateful to Groundwork and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets for their support in delivering this project. But, most importantly, they could not have done it without the amazing enthusiasm and hard work of the local community to dig, plant, sow and rake. Thank you local residents, Queen Mary University of London, Solebay Primary School, Harry Roberts Nursery School, 16th East London Scouts, and local home educators!
For more information on FoTHCP, please see their Crowdfunder, Website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
All photos by Michelle Lindson – click to enlarge
Removing the tarmac
Raking the seed bed
Planting bulbs
Planting bulbs
Planting bulbs
Happy Nature & Us volunteers
