The Conservation Volunteers together with members of a local Community Group and Primary School have successfully transformed the derelict former site of the Owl & the Pussycat pub on Tanhouse estate in Skelmersdale into a wonderful Community garden.
The garden which features raised wildflower and vegetable beds, together with wildlife friendly shrub planting was supported by funding from Lancashire County Council and West Lancashire Borough Council.
Skelmersdale is a ‘hot spot’ of deprivation in West Lancashire and features in the top 20% most deprived areas in the country. It was a tough challenge to engage members from the wider community in the project as they had been let down many times before with estate improvements promised but not delivered. But this time The Conservation Volunteers delivered! Dave Turner, Community Project Officer with The Conservation Volunteers in Lancashire worked on the project as part of The Conservation Volunteers new Community focus. He said “the successful completion of the community garden has demonstrated to local people that improvements to the local area can be achieved, and with their support projects such as this can be implemented across the whole estate, benefitting both the community and wildlife”.
The hard work of constructing the garden was carried out by The Conservation volunteers from the Merseyside office together with dedicated members of the Tanhouse Action Group, local residents, and even local Councillor Bob Pendleton got his hands dirty. Parents and children from Hillside County Primary school also got stuck in planting up their very own vegetable garden on the site, they also donated flowers for the Community planter. A summer garden party is planned which will bring together the local community in celebration of their achievement, and by which time it is hoped the garden will be in full bloom!