Tyne & Wear

Butterfly Haven – awarded £5,000

Located seven miles from Newcastle, this area of neglected and underused land had become an eyesore to local residents due to being repeatedly vandalised.

Following a number of consultations organised by BTCV, residents designed an attractive and informal community garden for the site. It consists of spring and summer flowering meadows, native fruit bearing hedgerows and seating. The central feature is a raised bed in the shape of a butterfly, with five different sections featuring limestone grassland, fertile beds for nectar and a peat free acid bed for moorland plants.

The community led the project from the start. Local people, BTCV volunteer task groups and members of Age Concern worked together to improve the site by undertaking essential clearance work and soft landscaping, constructing a stone butterfly. A local farmer also moved 15 tonnes of stone free of charge. The manager of the Prudhoe branch of Barclays attended the event and has been very active in supporting the community throughout the project.

The scheme has helped focus the minds of the community by bringing together old and young alike and fostering respect.