Visit from Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Barrow and Furness

Earlier today the Green Heart Den welcomed a visit from Mr John Woodcock, prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Barrow and Furness.

Pictured from left to right; Scott Gomersall – Project Accountant, Scott Quinn – Neighbourhood Warden, Mr John Woodcock,  Mark Roach - Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, Andy High – Senior Neighbourhood Warden, Graham Bromley – Project Coordinator,  Daniel Finlayson – Neighbourhood Warden and Rosie Hillman – Community Press Editor.
Of the visit John commented:

• “What a fantastic place you have created here. So much effort and pride from the community, and what a result. Best wishes for the future – very keen to help in any way that I can with your ambitious plans for the future” 

Quotes from others also attending included:

• “Wonderful gardens and a fab sunny day”
• “A diamond in the rough”
• “This place just keeps getting better”
• “Excellent gardens”
• “An excellent achievement by all concerned”

Picture courtesy of Steve Hillman. For additional pictures please visit our Flickr photo gallery here.
Big thank you to all who attended and showed their support, much appreciated

Junior Wardens Wldlife Workshop

Central and Hindpool Neighbourhood warden Scott Quinn becomes a tree for the Junior Wardens wildlife workshop conducted by Cumbria Wildlife Trust representative Andrea Meanwell.

View additional pictures from this event and other Junior Warden activities on our Flickr photogallery here.

Junior Warden Bird Feeders

Cumbria Wildlife Trust Officer Andrea Meanwell (far left), wardens from Central and Hindpool Neighbourhood Management and members of the Junior Wardens Team visiting the Greeen Heart Den to place bird feeders in the trees in the wildlife boundary. Earlier in the day Andrea had conducted a wildlife workshop in Central and Hindool Neighbourhood Management Office where she taught the Junior Wardens how to make the feeders.

View additional pictures on our Flickr photo gallery here.

Funding for this activity was provided as part of a grant we received from Our Green Space,  a Cumbria-wide three-year partnership project which is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund’s 'Your Heritage' grant scheme. More infomation can be found on their website here. 

Stockport Council Community Development Team Visit

Val Holden - Local Authourity Principal Officer, Graham Bromley - Project Coordinator and Phoebe Spence Phoebe - Stockport Council Community Development Team visiting the Green Heart Den. Also attending, but not in the picture was Graham Robinson. Phoebe is conducting research on green community initiatives for Neighbourhoods NorthWest see http://www.neighbourhoods-nw.co.uk/ . They would like written case studies, then presenations/showcases at conferences for community workers, policy makers/agencies with environmental interests to share good practice, lessons to be learned, etc.

Railway Arches update

We continue to consult with Spacia in the hope of securing a long term lease for potential development of the six adjacent railway arches.
Since 2004 we have conducted and commissioned various consultations in the local area regarding options for the potential uses of the railway arches. The management committee hope that they can be developed as a social enterprise - in such a way that they would be of benefit to the community and provide additional resources for the local area.
Options identified during consultation have been assessed in terms of feasibility, sustainability, its ability to satisfy the needs and aspirations of the community and the economic, social and environmental impact any potential development would have on the local community.

Among the themes identified include:

• Facilities for young people
• Sports and recreation centre
• Health/healthy living resource
• Training and educational resource
• Routes to employment
• Environmental activities

It could also be beneficial to use one arch as our office/base of operations and include; a shared communal space, toilet, washroom, and kitchen facilities. This could be utilised as a show case arch.

Barrow 6th Form College Student Visit

Year 10 Society, Health and Development students from Barrow 6th Form College visiting the Green Heart Den and discussing the project with Project Coordinator Graham Bromley. The visit was arranged with Genevieve Fair, Kathryn Metcalfe (Tutor of Health and Social Care – Barrow Sixth Form College) who thought it could be of benefit to the students coursework in which they needed to learn how agencies, organisations and groups have worked together for a particular local community project.

We would like to thank the College and its students for their interest in our project and look foward to other visits and developing potential options for their continued involvement.

Green Heart Den Attendance 08 -09

The Green Heart Den has collated the attendance for 2008. Each individual visit is based on those consisting of a group of 4 or more people who have used or visited the Green Heart Den.

• Number of individual visits: 50
• Aged 8-11: 769
• Aged 11-16: 24
• Aged 16-18: 50
• Adult/resident: 245
• Agency/Organisation: 390
• Total attendance for 2008: 1478

We are also collating the attendance for 2009. As before each individual visit is based on those consiting of a group of 4 or more people who have used or visited the Green Heart Den. Currently this stands at:

• Number of individual visits: 140
• Aged 8-11: 754
• Aged 11-16: 137
• Aged 16-18: 265
• Adult/resident: 574
• Agency/Organisation: 326
• Current total attendance for 2009: 2056

A breakdown of these totals can be downloaded here.

Junior Wardens John Muir Award Update

As part of their efforts to achieve a John Muir Award the Junior Wardens are planning to learn how to maintain and care for the garden by sowing plants from seed in propagators. The equipments for his learning opportunity was provided from a grant we received from Cumbria County Councils Local Area Committee for Barrow.

Thank you to Central and Hindpool Neighbourhood Managements Senior Warden, Andy High for helping to deliver the supplies required for this activity.

Architecture Student Visit

Newcastle University lecturers and students visiting the Green Heart Den.

Armelle Tardiveau and Daniel Mallo, architects teaching part-time at Newcastle University are conducting a project in Barrow with their architecture students. The objective of their project in Barrow is to learn to take into consideration the community needs and wishes in their design proposals. Their project includes visits to both community driven grass routes regeneration projects and local authority regeneration projects. Among various organisations and individuals they are consulting with are, Barrow Borough Council Regeneration Officers, local residents, and community driven regeneration projects.

Thank you to Armelle, Daniel, all of the students and to Maddi Nicholson, Founder Member of Art Gene for taking the picture.

Green Heart Den Panoramic View

John Muir Trust Visit

Earlier today the Green Heart Den played host to a meeting with representatives from the John Muir Trust who were visiting the garden to learn more about the project as a whole and to discuss the work of Central and Hindpool Junior Wardens and their efforts to achieve a John Muir Discovery Level Award.
Pictures left to right are: Helen Wiggan from Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, John Muir Trust inclusion coordinator Miranda Morgan, Senior Neighbourhood Warden Andy High, Junior Warden Lucy Bromley, John Muir Trust regional manager Graham Watson and Green Heart Den volunteer Graham Bromley.
The John Muir Trust is a leading wild land conservation charity. The award is an environmental award scheme focused on wild places which encourages awareness and responsibility for the natural environment, in a spirit of fun, adventure and exploration.

Additional information about the work of the Trust can be found on their website here.

Picture courtesy of Community Press Editor, Rosie Hillman.

Water Feature Plants

The bamboo flourishing in the area of our water feature.

Indoor Bowling Mats

The Green Heart Den has taken delivery of two large indoor bowling mats. These were provided for FREE by Chris Athersmith of Barrow Sports Council and are now safely stored in one of the adjacent railway arches.
Big thank you to all who helped transport the mats, it was very much appreciated.

Guardian Newspaper Photographer

Earlier today John Baxter a Cumbrian photographer working for the Guardian visited the Green Heart Den to take pictures for an article being written about the project. It is hoped that the article will shortly appear in a Guardian Neswpaper suppliment.

Thank you to PC John Irving of Cumbria Police / Streetsafe and  Neighbourhood Manager Steve Robson from Central and Hindpool Neighbourhood Management for attending the and showing their support for our project. Very much appreciated.

Post and Wire Fencing

General maintenance to the post and wire fencing along the length of the wildlife banking on the north plot.
Some of the wire had snapped and was replaced while other sections only needed to be retightened.

Could you sponsor a Neighbourhood Warden

An appeal has been launched to save Central and Hindpool Neighbourhood Management and the vital, effective service they offer to the local community. Local businesses are being asked if they could sponsor their team of neighbourhood wardens.

If you could help or would like more information please visit their blog page here.

See also the recent Evening Mail article here.

Junior Warden Plants Stolen Again

Once again the flowers and shrubs planted in the raised bed on the north plot by Central and Hindpool Junior Wardens have been stolen. It is so disappointing after all of their hard work, especially as they had to endure some extreme weather while replacing the plants.