Into the wild in Lincolnshire

Together Lincolnshire Co-op members and colleagues are raising money for almost 70 local groups that make the local environment a cleaner and greener place to live.

It couldn't be easier to lend some support - a donation is made through the Community Champions scheme every time a member shops with their dividend card and there are collection tins for shoppers who wish to lighten their pockets by giving spare change. Proceeds from the carrier bag levy also go into the pot, and there's colleague fundraising, too!

One of these is The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, a charitable organisation which cares for our landscape and countryside. Based at Banovallum House in Horncastle, its mission is to protect existing wild places by creating habitats that are more resistant to climate change and other challenges.

It’s working closely with clients at Clarence House in Horncastle, a care home for those with learning disabilities, to create a community garden at Banovallum House.

‘With the help of the fantastic volunteers at Clarence House we want to create an educational and visitor experience for people to come and enjoy,’ says Head of Conservation at Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, Tammy Smalley.

Residents and Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust employees are working on a garden that will celebrate flowers and plants from around Lincolnshire. It will also be a vital habitat to a variety of garden birds including finches, song birds, thrushes and pied wagtails.

The green space will also provide an excellent location for the charity to showcase projects, give talks and hold exhibitions. However, to maintain the garden and to organise these types of events there needs to be a person employed to do it – and that’s where Lincolnshire Co-op’s funding will help.

‘Having that person in post dedicated to help deliver activities in the green space will help us to shout about everything that is great with Lincolnshire wildlife. Funds will also let us pay for flowers and foliage, so we can recreate the county’s scenery,’ says Tammy.

Residents from the home come to the garden every fortnight to help clean, cut and plant foliage, giving them a chance to socialise with others and to work on something they can be proud of.

‘I wasn’t a fan of gardening before, but I really love it now,’ says Andrew Murdock, a client at Clarence House. ‘We do a mix of gardening, tidying and weeding. I’m quite new to gardening and it’s been pretty cool. It means the world to me to be outside and helping to make the garden look good.’

Joanne Cousins is a Support Worker at the residential home and says it’s made a real difference to their lives, ‘It helps their progress being out in the community and builds their confidence up. They love coming to Banovallum House and working on the garden, it brings a smile to their face’.