- BID News
Nearly 100 people braved wet weather last week for the official opening of the Abbey Foregate Pocket Park and Wilfred Owen Community Garden.
The site sits between the railway bridge and Hair 21. Between late August and early October this year, it has been transformed from an overgrown and neglected plot into a public space in the fore with seating, free high-speed WiFi, a central planter, a Brompton bike hire box and a Shrewsbury Moves Cycle Pod for secure bike storage, and a community garden to the rear – gated for safety and opened during active garden sessions.
At the opening, landowner Martin Monahan welcomed the crowd along with Seb Slater, Executive Director of Shrewsbury BID; Charlotte Tisdale, the artist who created the on site mural; Célia Franquet, one of the volunteer leads for the Wilfred Owen Community Garden; and Shrewsbury Men’s Shed, who have been instrumental in the completion of the Pocket Park and produced the wrought garden iron fencing and decorative Corten steel panels commemorating the local poet the site is named for.
As well as a large number of residents, guests at the event included representatives from Shropshire Council, in particular the UKSPF team that funded the project; Shrewsbury Town Council, who have agreed to install and maintain a rubbish bin on the site; as well as the Big Town Plan Partnership, garden volunteers and local businesses.
Seb Slater, Executive Director of Shrewsbury BID, said:
“Just over two months ago this was a fenced-off plot. It started with a simple conversation between the BID and a local landowner, and now it’s become a place to sit, connect, park your bike or use free open air high-speed WiFi on one of the main routes into town. Martin deserves enormous credit for the energy he’s brought to the project – it has been a real community effort from start to finish.”
Martin Monahan, landowner and project coordinator, said:
“To see so many people turn up on a wet October night tells you how much a space like this was wanted. It has taken a huge amount of work from a lot of people, and it’s now there for everyone to use. In the days since we opened, we’ve already seen so many people enjoying the site’s seating and outdoor space. A big thank you to the local businesses and members of the community who have helped us get here in such a small time.”
Now that the Pocket Park is finished and open to the public, the Wilfred Owen Community Garden volunteers are now getting started on the task of turning this space into a functioning space for growing. Two volunteer sessions have now been held (10th and 14th of October), with winter bulbs planted ready to bring colour to the space in spring.
Shrewsbury BID and the garden volunteers are hosting a Plant Donation Day at the Pocket Park on Saturday 17 October, from 12pm to 2pm. Residents are invited to bring along unwanted potted plants, seeds and bulbs, and miscellaneous garden items such as pots, twine or watering cans. Any donations which the garden leads do not feel are suitable for the space will be re-donated, ensuring nothing goes to waste.
To sign up as a Community Garden Volunteer, visit this link: https://shrewsbury.typeform.com/communitygarden
The project was funded by Shrewsbury BID through the Shrewsbury Big Town Plan Partnership’s Vitality Fund and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
