(c) Hannah Bunn
An update on the Grow Wilder Engagement Hub
Over the past two years, we've invited supporters to transform Grow Wilder
Grow Wilder is a special site that is close to many people’s hearts. Since 2012, this smallholding in Stapleton has blossomed into a wildlife-rich haven where people can connect with nature and learn new skills surrounded by food growing in the rich soils of Bristol’s former market gardens.
Grow Wilder is a special place with warm, friendly, knowledgeable people. It has made me appreciate how important nature is for our wellbeing and some things I can do to help it.
(c) Nick Turner
Next steps
We’ve been beavering away in the background and wanted to provide you with an update.
There's a recap below but - in a nutshell - we’ve reached a stage where we need to withdraw our current planning application. This will enable us to work with Bristol City Council on future plans, and respond to issues they’ve raised such as facilities for increased numbers of visitors.
While we revisit the plans, we’d like to continue to improve the site and we wanted to give you a chance to give your feedback.
It's been a while since we launched the project, so here's a quick recap
The Landfill Communities Fund have been great supporters of Grow Wilder and played a big part in its evolution over the years. We had the chance to apply for a large grant of £750,000 which would enable Grow Wilder to:
(c) Nick Turner
- add a new community space to the site
- offer a café for people to enjoy the food grown there
- expand with a shop alongside the plant nursery so that visitors could pick up books and tools to continue wildlife-friendly growing and gardening when they get home
- replace the septic tank with toilet facilities linked to local infrastructure
- create a welcoming environment for everyone to explore and enjoy
The generous gifts of supporters to the Grow Wilder Engagement Hub helped us raise a mighty £66,809 towards our goal of £75,000 (which represented the 10% contribution needed to unlock a grant of ten times that value).
Since launching our appeal, we’ve continued to raise funds and progress the plans.
(c) Chris Kaboutian
(c) Chris Kaboutian
(c) Chris Kaboutian
(c) Sam Morris
Like all the best laid plans – we have hit some bumps in the road. These have delayed our original vision to throw open the doors to the Grow Wilder Hub this year.
As mentioned above, drawing in a much larger local audience to learn about nature caused some concerns with our planning application. Alongside this, the company who created the low-impact, pre-fab hub building originally featured in the plans reported severe challenges from rapidly climbing costs.
We’re not defeated by these issues, but they have given us pause for thought.
(c) Chris Kaboutian
What's on at Grow Wilder
All the while we’ve been pushing the planning process, the team at Grow Wilder have continued to welcome visitors and gone from strength to strength with the courses they offer. Take your pick from wildlife gardening to habitat management skills.
We’d like to reflect the needs of the growing community of learners and volunteers who spend a lot of their time outdoors rather than in. We’re going back to the drawing-board to create a sympathetic and achievable new plan for Grow Wilder.
This will mean withdrawing our current planning application, and that will also enable us to involve the local planning officers in shaping new plans for the Grow Wilder site.
If you’ve visited recently, you’ll know that it’s a hive of activity. You’ll see that we’re working on improving access and information for visitors to explore. And the site is still crying out for better loos!
(c) Avon Wildlife Trust
Grow Wilder still needs you!
Every wildflower grown, every pollen-laden bee, every volunteer, every pond-creator and every cub born at Grow Wilder owes everyone who has donated a giant thank you for lending their support to this flourishing community project.
We’d like to put the donations raised so far to good use in areas that we can take forward right now.
We want to check that these changes are acceptable to you, and we’d love to hear your thoughts about Grow Wilder.