THE transformation of a new garden space in the centre of town will unite the community.
The Jubilee Garden has taken shape at Hexham Community Centre through funding from bodies including the National Lottery and Northumberland County Council.
Jill Goodfellow, Hexham Community Centre manager, said the garden 'is bright and bursting with life after a summer of drop-ins with local children'.
"Work started on the new garden in Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee month, June 2022, when an area of scrubland between the centre and Gilesgate car park was reclaimed and cleared of years’ worth of litter and overgrown plants.
"A new wall has been built since then, creating a bin store and two separate garden areas through funding from the county council and an additional grant from Northumberland Communities Together," Jill said.
Playground-type flooring, funded by Northumberland Community Chest and councillor Trevor Cessford, has transformed one area into a site for Community Centre Playgroup children to explore the outdoors in a private and safe space.
Work began over the summer holidays, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, to turn the second space into a Jubilee Garden.
"Nearly 100 children and their adults took part in upcycling drop-ins to turn car tyres into plant pots, paint pallets to create an accessible flower bed, bottles into bird feeders and a living wall."
The garden will be shaped by the skills and ideas of the public, with a weekly Garden Social and school holiday activity scheduled for the October half-term and beyond.
"The internal breeze block wall has been treated to a magnolia makeover with a generous donation of paint from Hexham's Homebase store and the brightly coloured planters have started to fill up with strawberry starters and herbs from Hexham Community Garden which has really brightened the space up," Jill added.
To get involved in transforming the garden, everyone is welcome to attend the community centre where manager Jill will work in the garden on Thursdays 12pm-2pm.
Jill said: "The garden will also feature in the centre’s school holiday activity during the October half-term, planting daffodils and snowdrops and making fat balls to keep the birds happy over winter."
The Community Centre would welcome established groups to spend time in the garden, take on a project, keep on top of the weeds or enjoy the space.
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