Help rebuild Masefield Community Garden

Masefield Community Garden was originally developed from a disused wasteland by a group of avid volunteers and now provides a beautiful natural space for the local community, winning the Natural Environment Award for the West Midlands in 2024. The garden hosts work experience placements, Forest Schools, Young Gardeners and participatory sessions for children and young people with disabilities through Sense Charity. 

Sadly, Masefield has been broken into a few time before, but recently it was broken into again and two of the sheds burnt down. The Childrens shed, containing toys, Forest School equipment and gardening equipment was completely destroyed. The composting toilet building was burnt leaving only two sides standing, and various water butts and composting bins located between the sheds were melted.

Directly opposite we had begun slowly creating a sensory garden for young children, and we now want to rebuild with a new kids brick pavilion and complete the sensory the garden so it is better than we ever imagined.

We want to do the following:

1. Install a new undercover pavilion with storage and seating for the sensory garden

2. Rebuild the composting toilet

3. Purchase new water butts and investigate access to water

4. Purchase new shade loving plants

5. Install solar powered CCTV to deter future break-ins

6. Recover the ground

7. Purchase items for the sensory space (musical items and touch items) to ensure it is very special after this loss

8. Install water play for young children

9. Water pump for STEAM activities/garden watering

Community Benefits

Masefield Community Garden is located in an area of multiple-deprivation, and the sensory space will encourage new participants to the garden in the local community. Generating new friendships, and learning opportunities for gardening and growing for young families. In turn this will provide new opportunities for volunteers. We aim to engage new families who have not been to the garden before and organise activities to specifically take place within the sensory garden area itself, focusing on learning opportunities. We aim to encourage the local community to reconnect with nature, meet new people and take price in their local community.