Monumental start…Up and Running for Business.

Monumental start

What else should we have expected?

This whole project from start to finish has been plagued by one disaster after another. Weather, covid, inflation, you name it, we’ve battled it.

There were times when we wondered if it would ever come to fruition.

Times when we wondered if we ourselves would survive this process, so stressful has it been.

But…and it’s a BIG but…we’ve done it!!!

Our sodden, water logged at times, mud festered site has become the latest must visit destination for families from all over the area.

 

 

With the Harris fencing finally coming down it wasn’t long before folk started to wander in and around, it felt so strange working in the sensory garden with members of the public passing by.

It was a soft opening that Friday morning, people had been told the fencing was down, so we waited with bated breath to see if anyone showed up, and boy did they!

The play park was rammed by lunch time.

Cars, mini buses, bikes pouring into the site.

One of our FORPAG committee members stood there with mouth agape, ‘how did they know’ he asked, the response, ‘the power of social media.’

Next day, Saturday, was even busier, word had spread, play park in use by the time we arrived, just after nine in the morning.

 

 

Pétanque courts fully occupied, table tennis tables being used, you could hear youngsters on the MUGA, children excitedly heading for the new scooter and bike track.

 

 

It was buzzing.

The sensory garden, a peaceful haven in amongst all that activity proved very popular.

In a matter of months it had gone from this…

 

 

 

to this.

 

 

Especially with families, the raised herb and healing plant beds with their scented foliage was a must sniff experience.

Who knew a plant could smell exactly like cola bottle sweets.

Exactly what was envisioned eight long years ago when the Lottery bid was started, a revitalised, to become a much loved and well used asset to the community.

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