Coventry

St Catherine’s Community Garden – awarded £9,000

This underused piece of land adjacent to St Catherine’s church in Coventry was developed into a garden for members of the local community. Churchgoers and visitors to the community centre were involved with its development, taking an active role in the planning, design and construction stages.

Groundwork organised a number of events to help publicise the garden and to bring all sections of the community together. An open day was held at the church in which residents used three-dimensional models to design the garden. The completed garden includes a safe play and picnic area for pre-school children, a main garden area incorporating wheelchair access for the elderly and disabled and an informal area of grass and tarmac with wooden football posts.

Barclays staff were involved throughout the year and helped with various tasks including building raised flowerbeds and a wildlife area. The community also set up a sub-committee for fund-raising, to enable them to raise funds maintenance of the garden and community events.

The garden has provided a safe and secure environment, which can be used by all ages. Residents have noted that since the creation of the garden and in particular the wooden goalposts, there has been less anti-social behaviour in the area than before.