Westminster Families Community Group near Ellesmere Port are working to create a multi-use green space that will benefit several groups within the area.

The idea had been a focus for the organisation, before the pandemic put the search for a suitable location on hold. However, the group are now seeking to turn the disused bowling green on George Street into a community space, with the potential for an allotment and sensory garden.

Lisa Denson, who runs the Westminster Families Community Group, said: "It was just perfect really. It's right in the heart of the estate and it can be kept nice and secure because it is fenced off.

"There's a lot of properties on the Westminster [estate] that don't have gardens so it's an ideal place where the community can come together safely and have that outdoor space."

Whilst there is bowling green which is still used regularly, the space chosen by Westminster Families will utilise another green which has long been forgotten.

Lisa says that the initial plan is to separate the areas with a dividing fence, which will ensure those that use the bowling green will be able to continue to do so in peace and then the new location can be transformed into an adaptable space which will be dictated by the needs of the people on the estate.

The group feels that the new space could provide another lifeline in the community's recovery from the pandemic, as well as a way to combat the cost of living. Lisa, who also runs a foodbank at Westminster Community Centre, says the potential to grow fresh produce may also be crucial.

"It's more of an intergenerational project and I feel that it is going to benefit the whole community, rather than just families. Looking at social isolation and mental health as well as food poverty.

"Whatever we are able to grow [on the allotment] will go back into the community as well."

Many of the houses near to the land are owned by older residents and the group say that the development has been welcomed as a way to provide a space in which people can meet and talk.

"We did a lot of consultation before we started work and the feedback was really positive. The feedback [from older residents] was that if they couldn't help with the work, they would still like the social aspect.

"It's very much a community project, it won't happen overnight, but it will be carried out by members of the community and volunteers."

Westminster Families Community Group have begun raising money through Spacehive so that a fence, gardening tools and other material can be purchased and the work can get underway. There has already been support shown by multiple individuals and groups, including a donation from Cheshire West and Chester Council.

Further information about the project and a link for donations can be found at: https://www.spacehive.com/community-garden-for-the-westminster .