WHO WE ARE
Heswall in Bloom is an independent voluntary group whose aim is to enhance Heswall's streetscape and make it a vibrant and welcoming place in which to live, work and visit. We sit under The Heswall Society which provides a small annual donation for our work. The remainder has to be raised through the community.
As you can see from our project page we raised £925 last year. This year we are looking to raise £3,000.
WHAT WE DO
Our energetic group of volunteers purchase plants from a local nursery and then plant up the planters, barrier baskets and beds including The Heswall Society maintained beds in front of Castle Buildings on a twice yearly basis and maintain them to provide seasonal colour throughout the year. Last year we planted saplings as a backdrop to the large shrub bed that we had previously created, in the grassed area adjacent to the Catholic Church.
A new project was redesigning the bed near the ambulance station andstocking it by using plants from our own garden. Dale Farm kindly donated the bark chippings.
We also keep the Fire Station garden tidy and the Fire Station officers very kindly top up the reservoirs in the large planters. A good community partnership.
We have been extremely fortunate to have secured some money through our ward councillors, from the Wirral Together Fund. In line with Royal Horticultural Society guidance, part of the money is being used to transition from traditional bedding displays to a permanent and more pollinator friendly planting scheme in the beds along Telegraph Road. This is a bit of an experiment and we are hoping that it will be successful.
Heswall in Bloom will be supporting the Heswall Society the "Cool Heswall Caring for our Climate", event which will be held in Hill House Gardens on 14 May. We want to encourage everyone to play their part in helping wildlife and the ecosystem by making small changes to their gardens.
We also want to raise funds to create a wildflower meadow in the grassy area on the corner of Telegraph Road and Thurstaston Road.
THE CHALLENGES WE FACE
In past years we have raised funds through the local generosity of local businesses.
Last year we tackled the overgrown border to the front of the Evolutions Centre and ambulance station opposite Tesco. As we were short of funds we used a lot of plants from our own gardens.
We also want to try to use more permanent and pollinator friendly planting to improve and support the environment and want to raise money to create a wildflower meadow in the grassy area at the corner of Telegraph Road and Thurstaston Road.
This year we want to create dazzling display of red, white and blue to celebrate the Queen's platinum jubilee year meaning that we have had to commit funding to purchase these plants. In addition we are hoping to continue to purchase perennial plants for some of the beds we have which will hopefully reduce the amount of work we face ion the future.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
We desperately need funds to continue our work. We are a team of eager volunteers who really want to make Heswall look bright and welcoming. Your donations would make a huge difference and enable our work to continue. We would be so grateful for your donations so that we can keep Heswall blooming. The team thanks you in advance for your help and support.
VOLUNTEERS
We always welcome new volunteers. We are very relaxed in what we expect of people. You can volunteer for one, or as many of the sessions that we have. You don't need to commit to turning up for every work session. Please get in touch. We would love to hear from you. The benefits of joining the group is meeting new friends and enjoying a chat and social events.