Luton Borough Council

16/07/2024 - New food and gardening activities at Memorial Park

Environmental charity, Groundwork East, is running a range of free activities in Memorial Park, Luton to help people to get outside and learn about nature. The sessions are funded by Luton Borough Council and Bedfordshire and Luton Community Fund (BLCF).

For those wanting to immerse themselves in nature, Memorial Park will hold twice weekly community gardening sessions where volunteers can learn a variety of skills and meet new people. The sessions, which run on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11am-12:30pm, will operate on a drop in, drop out basis where no commitment is required. Come along every week or when you have an hour or two of spare time, the choice is yours. Activities will centre around gardening tasks and projects, as well as learning about gardening maintenance. Tasks may include: seeding and planting, harvesting, developing flower displays; projects such as mini-pond creation and tasks in our small woodland. Long-term volunteers may also be able to get involved in undertaking their own projects to shape the garden, with support from our team. Gardening tools will be provided, participants will need to wear suitable clothes to be outside, and bring their own snacks and drinks. This opportunity is open to Luton residents who are aged 19+.

In addition to gardening activities for adults, Groundwork East’s Wildplay sessions for families are also returning to Memorial Park. The sessions have received great feedback from previous participants where families can take part in scavenger hunts, nature arts & crafts and eco-focused games. These activities are aimed for pre-school and primary aged children and their families. Wildplay sessions run on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s from 1pm-3pm, head to Groundwork East’s Eventbrite page to sign up.

Away from Memorial Park Groundwork East are also excited to bring two new food-focused courses to Luton. Grow It, Cook It, Share It aims to help families grow and harvest their own food and transform it into a delicious snack or meal. It is a great way for young children to socialise and learn together. Shop It, Cook It is a separate course aimed at adults which focuses on food nutrition and grocery budgeting. It teaches simple techniques which make a huge difference in everyday life. Both courses are 5 weeks long, with each session lasting 90-minutes. Grow It, Cook It, Share It is scheduled to start on Friday 2^nd August 2024 and Shop It, Cook It will start in the Autumn.

Research regularly highlights the link between spending time outside in nature and improved health benefits including brain activity, cognitive function, blood pressure, sleep and mental health (Nejade, Grace and Bowman, 2022). However, a report by Friends of the Earth in 2020, found that more than 19% of Luton residents have very small gardens, no green space within a five-minute walk and limited access to green spaces further afield.

Leading the activities for Groundwork East, project officer Laura Farrier sad: “We are excited to have launched our Memorial Park Food Hub programme this year, continuing successful activities, as well as introducing new sessions. We listened to feedback from the community and are now offering open volunteering sessions every week, thanks to the new funding. This will increase the number of people we can welcome to the garden and we have lots of exciting plans for the space. We can’t wait to get started!”

Councillor Khtija Malik, portfolio holder for Public Health at Luton Council, said: “Luton Council is pleased to be working alongside Groundwork to introduce a programme of work at their Memorial Park Food Hub, as part of ongoing work to promote healthy eating, as well as to increase opportunities for residents to reconnect with where their food comes from. Through taking a food-focused approach, there are fantastic opportunities for residents to come together and learn new skills, spend time outside and be active within their communities. This is important for our Luton 2040 vision of a healthy, fair and sustainable town, and we hope that this project will continue to bring communities together and promote healthy eating.”