Embargoed: 10am Friday 20th June 2014
Grow Wild Scottish Flagship Unveiled as Wild Flower Haven
Former Sewage Works Revealed as Community Garden and Growing Space
A project in Barrhead that has seen the transformation of a former industrial site thanks to £120,000 Big Lottery funding, was today (Friday 20th June) unveiled as a 10,000 square metre park and gardens for the wider community.
£100,000 of the funding has been spent on capital improvement works with the further £20,000 set aside for development and programming at the site.
The site, known as the Water Works due to its former use as a sewage works, is also home to Scotland’s largest ‘flower pots’ - three 700 square metre sewage tanks which are being used as huge experimental wild flower planters. It is situated in a former industrial area of the town which was home to Barrhead companies Shanks and Spillers dog food.
Representatives from Grow Wild, Big Lottery Fund, greenspace scotland and East Renfrewshire Council, were joined by pupils from Barrhead High School and members of the Coach House Trust and Youth Enterprise Scotland on site to celebrate the opening of the gardens to the wider community with a planting ceremony and to explore its many uses. Activities included planting – including using a vintage Shanks bath as a creative wild flower planter - creating seed balls and taking part in nature workshops.
Members of the local community are being encouraged to get involved with the care of the site, with project leaders anticipating regular participation from local groups.
The funding was awarded to the Water Works in Barrhead after it was voted as the Scottish flagship project by Grow Wild - a £10.5m mass participation programme to bring people and communities across the UK together to sow, grow and enjoy UK native wild flowers.
Over 200 people – led by East Renfrewshire Council, have worked tirelessly for the last six months to transform the previously unused site into a space that the community can enjoy now and in the future, clearing 30 years’ worth of rubbish and rubble amounting to over 6000 bin bags full.
Over 500 tonnes of soil, thousands of seeds, 16,000 wild flower plug plants, and over 350 metres of pathway have gone into the total revamp of this former sewage works.
Water Works is part of major investment to regenerate the north of Barrhead. The gardens will form the centre piece of a vibrant green network beside the Levern River, attracting new businesses and connecting Barrhead to Glasgow. There are also plans to link the site to Glasgow via a network of cycle paths and also to look at the option of developing areas of the site as a community sports resource.
Big Lottery Fund, Scotland Chair, Maureen McGinn, said: “I am delighted to see how far Scotland’s flagship Grow Wild project has progressed in such a short space of time. The Water Works was awarded Lottery funding of £120,000 to transform the former sewage works into a wildlife area that will benefit the whole community. Grow Wild shows what can be achieved when local people come together to improve their environment and it’s been a labour of love by young and old who have worked tirelessly to get the site ready. This new green space has the potential to make a big difference to the Barrhead area and those who live here.”
Councillor Vincent Waters, East Renfrewshire convener for environment, said: “This project has been a true collaborative community effort. Every flower and plant has been grown from seed by someone from our local community, whether it’s a school pupil, youth group member or one of the toddlers from the East Ren baby friends group. This is a site that has been developed for the community, by the community and it shows what can be achieved when we work together.
“Opening the site up to the wider community is the next step. We want them to see it as their space, where they can walk their dogs, exercise, play with friends and family and even get involved in some gardening on site.”
Supported by the Big Lottery Fund and led by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Grow Wild is a UK-wide campaign that aims to encourage people to transform urban spaces, gardens and windowsills into wildlife-friendly wild flower patches. Almost 20 000 people cast their vote last year to name the Water Works as the Grow Wild Scottish flagship – the first of its kind in the UK . Voting will commence later this year for the Grow Wild English flagship site.
Claire Bennett, Grow Wild Scotland Partnerships Manager, said; “To be here for the unveiling of the Water Works is such a privilege. So many people have worked incredibly hard in all weathers to turn this former sewage works into a useable and useful space for the community.
“Grow Wild aims to encourage people to make best use of their greenspaces by sowing and growing wild flowers and sharing their results with friends, family and their wider community. The rewards of being active outside to create beautiful wild flower spaces are really worth shouting about.”
Julie Procter, chief executive of greenspace scotland, said: ““The Water Works is a great example of how communities can come together to transform a derelict eyesore into an attractive community asset.
“Strolling round the Water Works is a reminder of how green spaces really are our natural health service. Research shows that green spaces have a positive impact on people's mental health and wellbeing. At the Water Works you can experience this for yourself.”
Hugh Henry, MSP for Renfrewshire South, said: “This is a perfect example of a community in action. The people of Barrhead have come together to create something good that everyone can benefit from and enjoy.
“There is also an educational value to what is happening at the Water Works, as many children are going to benefit from learning about flowers, plants and the natural habitat being created there, and of course, the environment in this area is being cleaned up and what was a derelict industrial site is being returned to nature. Everyone involved in this project should feel very proud and be congratulated for what they have achieved.”
Frank Balloch, Business Development Manager, the Coach House Trust, said: “The Coach House Trust is delighted to be involved with East Renfrewshire Council in the development of their Kew Gardens Grow Wild Project.
“This flagship project at the Barrhead Water Works is a true example of working with the community to improve and revitalise the quality of their environment.”
Over the next three years, Grow Wild wants to inspire three million people to sow wild flower seeds and share their results through social media. Over the last month, 4,300 groups have already signed up to receive special Grow Wild seed kits, including through residents’ associations, wildlife trusts, Girlguiding UK, UK Youth, the Prince’s Trust, Youth Scotland and the RSPB.
Grow Wild also awarded 13 community projects across Scotland over £40,000 funding in total including sites in Edinburgh and the Lothians, Glasgow, Fife, Argyll and Bute, Stirling, Falkirk, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire, the Scottish Borders and Shetland.
For more information about Grow Wild in Scotland please contact:
Emmy Borthwick 07967632628
Roanna Katz 07846786265
Notes to editors
Grow Wild
Grow Wild is a dynamic £10.5m mass participation programme to bring people and communities together to sow, grow and enjoy UK native wild flowers. Funded by the Big Lottery Fund and led by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Grow Wild aims to inspire people to transform unloved urban spaces, gardens and windowsills with nature into wildlife-friendly wild flower patches. www.growwilduk.com
Big Lottery Fund
The Big Lottery Fund is responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery.
The Fund is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK. Since its inception in 2004 the Fund has awarded close to £6bn to communities across the UK. Full details of the work of the Big Lottery Fund, its programmes and awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is internationally respected for its outstanding living collection of plants and world-class Herbarium as well as its scientific expertise in plant diversity, conservation and sustainable development. Kew Gardens is also a major international visitor attraction and its landscaped 132 hectares and RBG Kew’s country estate, Wakehurst Place, attract nearly two million visitors every year. Wakehurst Place is home to Kew's Millennium Seed Bank, the largest wild plant seed bank in the world. RBG Kew and its partners have collected and conserved seed from 10% of the world's wild flowering plant species (c.30, 000 species). www.kew.org