Douglas Diggers - community growing spaces for all within the heart of Douglas
Project code: 56
Estimated Price
Description
Over the last few years, the children at Claypotts Castle PS have been forging new links with others in their community through environmental projects such as tree planting in the new community park, harvesting vegetables with the Douglas Growers and holding celebrations in Douglas Community Centre inviting all from the community to attend. The Parent Council now wishes to support the children and their families to establish a substantial, long-lasting project through the Climate Change Fund and create the ‘Douglas Diggers’. Our vision is to:
- Develop two underused green areas as community spaces for growing and planting - the Wee Forest which sits behind Douglas Medical Centre and the adjacent green space where raised beds have been built, but not yet utilised. Opportunities will be provided for food growing as well as planting to create areas that are both practical and beautiful. Outdoor learning spaces will be created within the grounds of Claypotts Castle PS to include our very youngest community members: our nursery children. These nurturing, active learning spaces will also be freely available to the parent and toddler group which is based in Douglas Community Centre.
At the moment, the children are at the beginning of very exciting 3-year partnership with Alba Explorers, an outdoor education provider, who are creating opportunities for the children to explore their immediate surroundings whilst learning about biodiversity, permaculture, wildlife studies, habitat creation etc. This experience has the potential to be much more meaningful if held in the heart of the community rather than in the controlled environment of the school. The knowledge and expertise that Alba Explores can bring to this venture is extremely valuable.
The vision for the Douglas Diggers has children at the heart, but very much surrounded by adults, old and young, with lots of gardening experience, or none at all. We hope to create a space where all are welcome and feel valued; a space that embraces avid gardeners as well as those who simply wish to enjoy the surroundings of a living, growing garden. It is our mid-term plan to support Douglas Family Medical group to offer social prescribing through the Douglas Diggers and utilise the Wee Forest in particular as an ‘outdoor waiting room’.
These green spaces will create opportunities to: address the cost of living pressures, to reduce social isolation, to offer zero cost family activities and to create volunteering opportunities for those looking to start/return to work to name but a few. Moreover, it allows the people living in Douglas to claim the space as their own whilst exploring the concept of climate change and the impact we can all have as citizens both individually and collectively.
Parents and carers of children in Claypotts Castle PS were invited to complete a short survey to gauge interest in this new project. Some of the responses to, ‘What kind of gardening activities would you be interested in?’ are as follows:
We would enjoy coming to help and learn how to grow and care for fruit and veg, also learn how to care for other garden plants.
I’d like to show my kids how to plant stuff and show them how to look after it.
Gardening/growing fruit and veg/learning about the outdoors/building and landscaping and helping children with these life skills too.
Everything to do with this and I would come with my grandson.
Location: See attached map. Additional learning activities will be held in the grounds of Claypotts Castle Primary School, Balloch Place.
Proposed on behalf of: Douglas Diggers
Documents (1)
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Download file
Map of proposed green areas
PDF | 88 KB
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