Community gets creative in greenspace

A new community garden at the Laurel Hill Gardens Coleraine shared housing scheme has been reimagined as an innovative and creative space for the local community, through a project run by Radius Housing.

The project has seen an area of underused green space being transformed into a community space that includes growing walls, new pathways, murals, dragon seating, a bird hotel and the creatively decorated Lough Bann Monster. The finished garden provides an innovate shared space for free play, as well as encouraging those with green fingers to maintain the garden’s growing wall.

There are many young people and families in the area, and Radius decided to engage with residents to seek ideas for developing the space. Plans were then drawn up, and the completed garden is the result of a collective effort of the wider community.

Tenants, facilitated by local artists Tim McCarthy and Mark Hill, participated in an art workshop for the mural and Lough Bann Monster sculpture, and the Laurel Hill Men’s Shed, who have members living in Laurel Hill Gardens, designed and installed the growing wall and bird hotel.

The Lough Bann Monster was created by artist Mark Hill. The sculpted concrete monster, whose dimensions are based on car tyres, is decorated with ceramic artwork pieces which were made by the local residents.

The programme is funded through the Department for Communities ‘Housing for All’ Shared Housing programme.