Wythenshawe's wild about new eco garden

A new eco learning zone for children was officially opened on Friday (1 October) in Wythenshawe - and it’s already home for hedgehogs, insect colonies and other wildlife in custom-built nests.

The eco garden is attached to The Addy, an  adventure centre for youngsters in Sharston, and has been designed for  children from the age of 5, where they can grow fruit, vegetables, herbs  and study wildlife.

The land for the eco garden is leased from  Manchester City Council, and lies between the Addy and a housing estate.  Prior to the work, the land had become an area for fly-tipping,  dog-fouling and general misuse.

Now, after funding from seven organisations and  help with the design from the Wythenshawe Regeneration Team at Manchester  City Council, the garden is blooming with mature trees, rows of plants,  recycling bays, sensory 'scent' paths, hedgehog houses, bird boxes and  even an insect hotel.

Work on the project was carried out by Community  Payback teams, where more than 350 offenders completed more than 2,000  hours on the garden.

John Miller, Community Payback Officer, said:  "The offenders have worked really hard and can see what their efforts have  achieved because they have completely regenerated the area.

Councillor Mike Amesbury, Executive Member for  Culture and Leisure at Manchester City Council, said: "The area has been  transformed from an unattractive piece of land into a beautiful outdoor  facility, so that children can get vital outdoor exercise and also have  the chance to observe wildlife and grow their own plants and herbs."

Suzanne Cere from Manchester Young Lives, the  charity which runs the Addy said: "The tremendous support we received for  this project means that we can continue to develop environmental  play,  which has been a huge  success through our Parktastic programme across Manchester. We aim to  encourage local primary schools to use the zone to support their  curriculum development."

Funding and support for the eco garden project  came from Manchester City Council, Carbon Innovation Fund, Greening  Greater Manchester, Play England, Friends of the Addy, Manchester Airport  Community Trust Fund and Willow Park Housing Trust.