This Month, A History of MeGA, so far.
- Memorial Gardens
- Nov 7
- 2 min read
After the local councillors named MeGA in one of their leaflets this month, regarding the Lottery Fund and the refurbishment of the Memorial Gardens. I thought it would be interesting to see how MeGA came into being. Liz Vyvian has written a history of MeGA. I have posted it below. Thank you, Liz.
Don't forget the MeGA Christmas do on Monday, 8th December, straight after gardening.
Don't forget to tick the Pizza you want.
2016, MeGA began with a group of half a dozen local people tidying up the rockery.
Summer 2018 The City Council was preparing a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for restoration and renovation of the Memorial Gardens and required a local group to endorse the bid.
November 2018 A public meeting was held in the Meadows Library to form an organisation to support the work of the council and the development of the gardens. MeGA elected a committee, adopted a constitution and policies, developed a website and a Facebook page.
A gardening group was formed, meeting fortnightly to improve the Rockery and beds at the North end of the gardens. Various activities were organised. Bulb planting involving a local primary school and a tree walk. Covid hit 2020 and as we were allowed to meet outdoors, with safety provisions in place, we increased our sessions to one morning a week.
Our numbers have increased from approximately 6 volunteers in 2018 to, on average, 16 in 2024 with a base of 20 on our list. We helped with preparing the site of the WW1 Roll of Honour, completed in 2019, and replanted the Bandstand bed.
January 2022 Heritage Lottery Fund grant approved, and work commenced on the infrastructure, repairs and restoration.
The Wildlife Area was created from an area used as a depot for the council workers. It had become an eyesore, with abandoned machinery, bins, rubbish and fly tipping and overgrown with weeds and brambles. MeGA had suggested that some of the area could be reclaimed as a wildlife garden and the remaining 2/3 tidied up with bays to hold green waste. This proposal was incorporated into the plans, and in late 2022, the hard landscaping was done to create a fenced area with a circular path and a wildlife pond. In February 2023 a volunteer working party started clearing the soil, landscaping and planting 1,000s of small plants, herbs, pollinators and shade loving plants. We also modified the pond.
Many visitors to the gardens have complimented and thanked MeGA on how lovely the gardens look.
Comments