Plans for a garden boasting exotic plants and a water feature in Birkenhead Park are being developed.
HYPE Merseyside, a Birkenhead -based social enterprise, has launched a crowdfunding campaign to make an ‘urban walled garden’ which can be launched in time for the park’s 175th anniversary in April.
The courtyard behind the group’s office, located in the listed building at the entrance to the park, has mainly been used for storage over the past twelve months, but HYPE Merseyside now wants to transform the empty space into one which everyone can enjoy.
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The organisation needs to raise £3,000 to create the public space in Birkenhead Park which will contain colourful and exotic plants, a water feature and a welcoming habitat for insects, birds and other creatures.
There will also be a seating area where visitors can take in the sights, sounds and scents of the garden.
Coffee will be available in the area, with the money raised going towards maintaining the group’s larger plot of green space in the park, which is 200 metres from the walled garden.
As for the garden itself, it will be used by HYPE to run weekly events and community groups will also be able to use it for meetings and workshops.
If the campaign is successful, the garden will be delivered by Grow Wellbeing and six young HYPE staff members, with the support of Kindred, a network of ‘socially-trading’ organisations in the Liverpool City Region.
HYPE said it has lots of experience in transforming empty spaces into areas which can deliver events and activities. The disused courtyard is the first of a number of spaces it plans to bring to life this year.
Young people in the area will be able to help design and install the garden, with the group’s volunteer youth gardening group responsible for its maintenance after the garden is created.
Matthew Houghton, from HYPE Merseyside, said: “We are always looking for ways to maximise empty spaces in our community.
“We believe this courtyard space will benefit local residents and visitors, particularly young people, and we have a really exciting vision for the urban walled garden.
“We have expert support in place for this project. Our team of young staff and volunteers are bursting with ideas and ready and raring to go - all we need now are the funds to turn the vision into a reality.
“Even the smallest donation will take us a step closer to helping our young people launch the urban walled garden with an exciting community event in April, to celebrate Birkenhead Park’s 175th anniversary.”
