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Thank you Colin, Ste and all at at Red Abbey.  

Please also visit our  pages on the Our Green Space website at: http://www.ourgreenspace.org.uk/ 

For regular updates please visit our blog site at: http://greenheartden.blogspot.com/ 

Mission Statement: 

"Using best practice to develop and provide a centre of excellence that recognises, embraces and serves the needs of the local community"

Potential Railway Arch Development:

We continue to consult with Spacia in the hope of securing a long term lease agreement for the development of the six adjacent and vacant railway arches. Between 2004 - 2009 we have conducted and commisioned various local consultations in regard options for  the potential future development of the railway arches. Our management committee hope that they can be developed as a social enterprise -  in such a way that would be of benefit to the  community and provide additional resources for the local area.  Options identified during consultations conducted between 2004 - 2009 have been assessed in terms of feasibilty, sustainabilty , their ability to satisfy the needs and the aspirations of the community and the economic, social and environmental impact they would have on the local area.

A summary of our various consultation reports can be downloaded here.

Among the main themes identified include:

Facilities for young people.

Sports and recreation centre.

Health/healthy living resource.

Training and educational resource.

Routes to employment.

Enviromental Activities.

Arts and media. 

One arch could potentially be used as our project office/base of operations and include; a shared communial space, washroom, toilet and basic kitchen facilities. This could serve as a show case arch.

Furness 6th Form College Student Visit:

Year 11 Society, Health and development students from Barrow 6th Form College recently visited the Green Heart Den to discuss the project with Project Coordinator Graham Bromley.  The visit was arranged with Genevieve Fair, and Kathryn Metcalfe (Tutor of Health and Social Care) 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 community project. Comments received from the students during the recent visits include:

"Very good, and helpful for the community"

"Amazing"

"I enjoyed my time at the garden"

"Looks good, but needs a toilet"

"I enjoyed the flowers, the water feature and the plans for the future sound good"

"Your plans for the future sound very good"

"Good, I had fun"

Junior Wardens update:

Following a visit from John Muir Trust Inclusion CoordinatorMiranda Morgan and John Muir Trust Regional Manager Graham Watson, the Trust has prepared a short case study based on the work of Central and Hindpool Neighbourhood Managements team of Junior Wardens and their efforts to achieve a John Muir Discovery Level Award.

You can also download a copy of the case study here.

Green Heart Den Xmas Event:

The Green Heart Den would like to invited you to join us at our Xmas event which is to take place between 1pm and 3pm, Saturday 12 December. Please see poster below for details of the event.

This poster can also be downloaded here.

Green Heart Den as featured in the Guardian Newspaper:

A copy of the article can also be downloaded here.

Green Heart Den Visitors:

We have recenty collated the total number of visitors received during 2008 and 2009. Each individual visit is based on those consisting of a group of 3 or 4 more people who have used or visited the Green Deart Den. 

2008:

Number of individual visits: 50

Aged 8 - 11: 769

Aged 11 - 16: 24

Aged 16 - 18: 50

Adult/resident: 245

Agency/Organisation: 390

Total number of visitors during 2008: 1478

2009:

Number of individual visits: 140

Aged 8 - 11: 754

Aged 11 - 16: 137

Aged 16 - 18: 257

Adult/resident: 572

Agency/Organisation: 324

Currently the total number of visitors during 2009 is: 2044

Company structure and membership:

Company Director -  Architiect, Hugh Massey.

Company Director/Company Secretary - Accountant, Scott Gomersall.

Company Director - Furness Building Society Genreal Manager, Ian Bell.

Company Director - Local Resident/Newsagent, Joe Wardman.

Member of Company / Meeting Chairperson. - Local Railway Historian, Alan Postlethwaite. 

Member of Company -  Graham Robinson.

Member of Management Committee - Local Resident, Graham Bromley.

Project Co-ordinator - Local Resident, Graham Bromley.

Member of Management Committee - Local Authority Principal Officer, Val Holden.

Member of Management Committee. - Project Manager, Nicola Foster.

Member of Management Committee. - District Councillor, David Pidduck.

Oral History Group - Joe Wardman, Alan Postlethwaite, Graham Robinson.

John Muir Award Activity

   

Central and Hindpool Neighbourhood Managements, Junior Wardens Team sowing wildflower seeds and making use of our compost bin as part of their efforts to achieve a John Muir Discovery Level Award.

Additional pictures can be viewed here.

Information about Central and Hindpool Neighbourhood Management can be found here.

Greengate Junior School Outdoor Classroom.

    

Teachers, staff and pupils from Greengate Junior School recently used the Green Heart Den as an outdoour classroom for their maths lesson. At the end of the lesson the pupils spent a little time exploring the garden, drawing pictures and learning a little about the various wildlife on the garden. Thank you to all at the school.

For more information please visit our blog site here.

Thank you also to Central and Hindpool Neighbourhood Management Team wardens who helped on the day and provided a walking bus to and from the school.

For more information about Central and Hindpool Neighbourhood Management please visit here.

Volunteer Coordinator

During a recent Management Committee meeting we identified a temporary volunteer coordinator, Graham Robinson.If you would like information regarding volunteering opportunities within the project Graham can be contacted on:

Tel: 01229 889694

Mob: 07749 656 127

Email: g.robinson@ktdinternet.com

Greengate Junior School Feedback

Recently we received some excellent comments from pupils at Greengate Junior School following a visit to the Green heart Den. Teachers, staff  and pupils had used the garden for  an "outdoor classroom" science lesson.

Details of their feedback can be found on our blog page here.

and on our Flickr photo gallery here.

Cumbria in Bloom update

Alan Postlethwaite, Hugh Massey, Graham Bromley and Graham Robinson pictured shortly after the project won a Neighbourhood Award - Certificate of Outstanding Achievement and the District Special Trophy (Barrow in Furness Trophy) - Award for Achievement in the Borough during the Cumbria in Bloom Awards which took place earlier today at the Graythwaite Manor Hotel in Grange.

Thank you to all who have been involved with the project and contributed to its continued success, it is very much appreciated. We could not have achieved this without you all. 

 Thank you also to Cumbria in Bloom for providing what was a most enjoyable event.

Copies of the Award Certificates can be found on our documents page.

For additional pictures please visit our Flickr photo gallery here.

Project Coordinator

If you would like to learn a little more about our project please contact to our project coordinator Graham Bromley. Graham  can be contacted at email: greenheartden@aol.com or on mobile: 07919 991 989.

Visitor Feedback

Following a recent visit by the Central and Hindpool Junior Wardens we asked them - what did you most enjoy about the Green Heart Den? Below are some of the comments we received:

"It is interesting, colourful and fun"

"I like the way it has changed and the play area"

"The plants, the wildlife and nature"

"There are different flowers and bushes there"

"It is full of plants"

"The water feature and the nature. But I really like all of it"

After visiting the Green Heart Den with a small group of SERIS children, Sacred Heart Junior School also provided comments in regard what they enjoyed most about their visit, as detailed below.

"The children were able to walk around, the the plants and herbs, and play on the equipment"

"You would never know that you were just below busy Greengate Street, it was so quiet"

"The fact that the children were encouraged to look around by themselves in this beautiful environment"

"This was a wonderful time which all of the children loved"

"This was a special time for us, to be able to take the children just a short distance and have a wonderful time"

Cumbria In Bloom

Following the recent visit from Cumbria in Bloom representative David Haigh, we have received an invitation to the Cumbria In Bloom Awards Ceremony in which we have been nominated in the Neighbourhood Award category.

The event wil tke place between noon and 4.30 pm on Thursday 3rd September, at the Graythwaite Manor Hotel in Grange.

Butterflies and bees flourishing on the Green Heart Den.

    

Additional pictures can be viewed here.

John Muir Award:

Between September 2009 - January 2010 Junior Wardens from Central and Hindpool Neighbourhood Management Team will be taking part in a range of activities on the Green Heart Den as part of their work to achieve a John Muir, Discovery level Award. These activities will be both theory abased and practical and include; a study of plants, learning about maintaining the garden, drawing and photographing the garden, and preparing a photographic presentation of their experiences.

Additional information can be found here.

Open session - visitor feedback.

During our first open session visitors were kind enough to take a little time and complete a short feedback form and sign our visitor book. Below are some of the comments we received.

"The garden, plants, play area are all fantastic. I would love to come back for a picnic"

"I think it is a wonderul place, will come back as much as possible. Love the sound of the future plans. A peaceful, enjoyable place for all ages"

"The herbs and plants are beautifully presented. Fantastic!"

"Lets have more of these places"

Lovely, wonderful for Barrow, very impressed"

"Brilliant place to spend the afternoon"

"Nice people. Its a wonderful place"

"Fantastic, kids loved it"

"An amazing transformation of waste land to an excellent community facility"

Our first Open Session: 22/07/09

   

Members from our committee meeting visitors during our first open session on the Green Heart Den. Thank you to Central and Hindpool Neighbourhood Management wardens who offered support during the sessions. The next open session will be between noon and 4pm on Wednesday 29 July. 

188 Marsh Street clean Up.

 

Picture taken shortly before Central and Hindpool Neighbourhood Management wardens began clearing the rear yard of 188 Marsh Street. This eyesore property, which has been vacant and derelict for many years, will be removed to provide for the pedestrian access route onto the Green Heart  Den direct from Marsh Street.

 

 

Picture taken shortly after Central and Hindpool Neighbourhood Management wardens completed clearing the rear yard of 188 Marsh Street. Thank you to the wardens for their efforts, they have made a real difference.

 

 

More pictures of the clean up can be viewed here

More information about the Central and Hindpool Neighbourhood Management Team can be found here. 

Cumbria in Bloom Visit.

Green Heart Den Volunteer Graham Bromley meeting Cumbria in Bloom representative and judge David Haigh.David visited the Green Heart Den to learn more about the garden and assess first hand if it met the criteria for any potential  Cumbria in Bloom Award. If you would like further information about the Cumbria in Bloom Awards please visit their website here.

Fingers crossed from now on. 

Green Heart Den - Open sessions.

On behalf of the Marsh Street Arches and Garden CIC could I take this opportunity and highlight temporary open sessions on the Green Heart Den. These open sessions are planned to take place between noon and 4pm, every Wednesday throughout the school summer holidays, from the 22nd July until the 26th August.

Temporary access to the Green Heart Den for the duration of these sessions is from Ramsden Street into the back street behind Marsh Street walking towards Greengate Street bridge. To view a map detailing the access point into the back street please click here

We recognise that access via the back street is not ideal which is why the sessions are temporary, during the summer holidays. The provision of the open sessions follows a delay in the removal of 188 Marsh Street which will ultimately provide for the pedestrian access route into the Green Heart Den, direct from Marsh Street.

The open sessions are being organised and facilitated by Graham Robinson with assistance from Committee Member Alan Postlethwaite.

The aims of the open sessions are to:

Raise awareness of the Green Heart Den
Allow people the opportunity to visit the garden and enjoy the surroundings.
Offer the opportunity for people to speak to members of our committee.
Help  identify potential volunteers.

If you would like further details of the open sessions please contact Graham Robinson on 01229 889694. 

Sir John Fisher Foundation grant.

This month we have received confirmation of a successful grant application from the Sir John Fisher Foundation. This grant will be used to provide gates for the railways arches. The first arch to benefit from the grant will be the arch used for access between the Green Heart Den and the north plot.
Previously, working to a brief provided by members of our committee, art and design students from Furness College produced fantastic design options for these gates. Eventually Heather Stephensons design was chosen by memebers of our committee. We are currently arranging to have the gates manufactured and installed and to involve the students throughout this process.

AGM Invitation.

The first AGM of the Marsh Street Arches and Garden Community Interest Company will take place at 6.30pm on Wednesday, 17 June at Greengate Junior School.

The Green Heart Den will be open to visitors between 5pm - 6:15pm, immediately before the AGM, to allow the opportunity for people to see how the garden has progressed and to also see the environmental improvements being made to a section of land on the North Plot.

If you would like to visit the Green heart den and/or attend the AGM could you please let ups know by calling: 07919 991 989 or by email to: greenheartden@aol.com. Thank you.

Oral History Group.

Members of our oral history group during a walkabout in the neighbourhood. The group meet weekly, exploring our social and industrial heritage, interviewing people living in the local in the area and recording what memories they have. Recently the group recorded an interview with the man responsible for the original Corporation Yard -  part of which is now the Green Heart Den.

From right to left the group consists of: Graham Robinson, Alan Postlethwaite and Joe Wardman.The group aim to map the area and document how the neighbourhood has changed over the years.

 

 Furness College Participation.

One of the aims of the project is about encouraging participation and involvement at all stages of the project and helping to provide local people with new skill by offering training, educational and employment opportunites wherever possible.  To this end it has been a fantastic experience, a real pleasure working with the Barrow Excellence Cluster Partnership and in particular tutors and students at Furness College. Their work, to produce design options for gates was of the highest quality. It is believed that this type of participation and partnership working is central to any form of successful regeneration, grass routes or local authority led. It can help to build confidence and help to encourage a real sense of ownership and pride. We are looking forward to further involvement in the future. Everyone is a winner; when you work together you can make a real difference.

Furness College Gate Design. Winner Heather Stephenson.

Art and design students from Furness College have worked extremely hard in producing fantastic design options for the gates. Eventually Heather Stephensons design was chosen by memebers of our committee. We would now like to have the gates manufactured and installed and to involve the students throughout this process.

Thank you to tutor Mike Walsh, the art and design students at Furness College and Julia Geere of the Barrow Excellence Cluster Partnership for their hard work and to Will Taylor at the Community Press for his interest in the whole process.

Below are pictures detailing the design process, the presentation for the winner and the chosen design.

  

North plot clean up 25/04/09: Working together to make a difference.

Between 10am and 2pm Saturday 25h April we conductiong a clean up on the north plot of land between Marsh Street and the railway line, to the north of Greengate Street Bridge. The aim of the clean was to remove as much litter, debris and rubbish as possible from the site, including the banking along the boundary with the railway line.

Thank you to Streetsafe, Probation Service,  Central and Hindpool Neighbourhood Management and all the volunteers who helped on the day and to Continental Landscapes for donating use if their big red trailer. Much appreciated.

Please visit: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2008701&id=1342731570&l=8bba503af7 for more pictures of the clean up.

  

Home Housing visit 23/04/09:

Home Housing workers from across the County visited the Green Heart Den while they were in Barrow to look at the work undertaken by Central and Hindpool Neighbourhood Management  and their key partners in the Neighbourhood Management area.

They were interested in, and impressed by, the community engagement and development aspect of the project. They were particularly impressed with the activity and committment of residents volunteering in the Neighbourhood Management area.

April 2009 - Snowy Mespilus flourishing on the Green Heart Den:

  

Planning Approval.

On the 2nd April we received confirmation that planning approval had been granted for the demolition of 188 Marsh Street and associated works, making way for the main pedestrian access route into the Green Heart Den.

Jan-March 2009:

In an effort to raise awareness of the project, increase participation and potentially build the capacity of the organisation we would like to offer the opportunity, should you wish, to become further involved with the project as we are looking to attract new Directors, members and volunteers. Please feel free to pass on this invitation to anyone you feel may be interested and/or maybe your organisation has a regular newsletter that could be used to promote this invitation and opportunity. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to discuss this in more detail.

Members of the Marsh Street Arches and Garden CIC celebrating after the Green Heart Den won the Group/Project of the Year category at the Love Barrow Awards Ceremony which took place at Abbey House on Friday 13th March 2009. Pictured left t right are Joe Wardman, Ian Bell, Graham Bromley, Graham Robinson, Scott Gomersall and Hugh Massey. Thank you to all of our partners, our funders and our friends who have helped to make this possible. It is very much appreciated.

 

 North Plot Environmental Improvements:

The North plot is owned by Barrow Borough Council  who have been granted us a lease and permission to make environmental improvements to a section of it. This is the land between Marsh Street and the railway line, to the North of Greengate Street Bridge. On our behalf Barrow Borough Council applied to West Lakes Renaissance for the funding to provide for the environmental improvement work which is to be conducted by Continental Landscapes Ltd who have also constructed the Green Heart Den.

We have removed a large amount of rubbish and debris cause by fly tipping and have introduced a hard surface which will open up the opportunities for the potential development of the railway arches. At the same time we have instaled several large raised planters and created a banking along the boundary with the ralway line.  The banking is to be planted with small trees and shrubs such as Ash, Silver Birch, Hazel, Willow and Hawthorn. Although we have not been granted a lease to develop the section of land in the centre we have been allowed to tidy this up. We will be scattering wild flower seeds in this space, creating a wild meadow type area.  Thank you to all who have helped to make this work possible, it is very much appreciated.

  

  

The project continues to attract supporters and conduct activities on the garden. pupils at Greengate Junior School have made and donated bird boxes, art and design students from Furness College are helping to design gates and local teachers recently visited the site to learn more about the project and any potential opportunities for their students.

                                 

November 2008:

Great news. The Green Heart Den won the Greener Communities category at the Cumbria Community Awards event at Rheged. At the same event Graham Bromley also won Volunteer of the Year. Big thank you to all the individuals and organisations involved with the project. We could not have won the award without your consistant support, it is very much appreciated.

   

Green Heart Den construction process February 2008-February 2009:

   

   

 

4th July Garden Naming Ceremony:

   

The event was facilitated by Colin Smith, head teacher of Greengate Junior School, and included the school orchestra playing their own competition Pride of Barrow, a banner parade, dancers, a display of anchors decorated by pupils and culminated with the result of the name the garden competition.

Previously Greengate Junior School, Ramsden Infants, St Georges, Sacred Heart and Greengate Infants were invited to conduct a name the garden competition in which each school provided a name for the garden.

The final winning entry, The Green Heart Den, was chosen by pupils representing each of the schools and announced at the end of the ceremony.

Each winning entry received book tokens as provided by the Furness Building Society and the Central and Hindpool Neighbourhood Management Team. The final winning entry also received a Rock Pool Ramble prize donated by Cumbria Wildlife Trust.

Project support:

The project has received fantastic support from local schools and agencies such as The Central and Hindpool Neighbourhood Team and Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service.

                                        

Garden project wildlife: 

The garden is attracting a variety of wildlife as the following pictures demonstrate. From left to right they are a slow worm, a hedgehog and a common lizard. 

     

July 2007:

Project members Neil Doherty and Graham Bromley returned to both Sacred Heart and Greengate Junior Schools with the results of the recent competition in which the pupils were asked to complete the sentance: "The Marsh Street Arches and Garden Project will be good for the community because"................. The prizes, a £30 JJB voucher for the winner at each school and a £10 JJB voucher for the 3 runners up, were presented to the pupils during their school assemblies on 17/07/07. Thank you to both the schools and their pupils for all of their hard work.