A community gardening event will take place in Leicester’s Old Town area this week.
The event – which takes place tomorrow, Friday 20 July – is a chance to get involved in planting up the flower beds around nine new street trees introduced as part of the revamp of the Old Town streets.
People can join the community planting by meeting outside the Criterion Pub on Millstone Lane at 4pm.
The event has been organised through the Greyfriars Townscape Heritage Initiative, which is backed by £1.1milllion from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
It is also supported by Urban Buzz, which is helping to transform habitats for bees, butterflies and pollinators in eight cities across the UK.
Sophie Noon, city council officer for the Greyfriars Townscape Heritage Initiative, said: “We’re really pleased to be working with Urban Buzz on this event.
“Our workshops have been really popular with people who live or work in the area. This event is a chance to get together in a more informal setting, find out about what we’re hoping to achieve with the new community gardens and hopefully roll your sleeves up and get stuck in.”
Nick Packham, Urban Buzz officer, added: “This community planting will play an important part in helping out Leicester’s pollinators and providing much-needed feeding opportunities for our urban bees, butterflies, moths and beetles.
“We’ll be using an assortment of plants that are rich in nectar which is vital for pollinator survival, but which also look good all year round.
“Bees can do very well in cities by feeding in parks and gardens, but can get stuck in built-up environments. Planting schemes like this provide important links that give bees and other pollinators the chance to buzz all over the city.”
The event runs from 4pm until 6pm and no booking is required.
