What do we need? What do we want?
Over many years, the Friends of Sudley Estate and then Growing Sudley CIC worked with local residents and park users to find out how people wanted to use the walled garden. The community told us the ideas they had for reviving and reinventing the space, and working in the garden over many years of pilot projects allowed gradual consideration of what could be done if we were able to obtain capital funding.
Design sessions with participants provided interactive and fun insight into the needs and desires of the community using the garden, and consultation with local charities and healthcare providers provided outline guidance on measures required to make the space accessible. Feedback events and open days with local residents allowed us to connect to people and find out what they wanted, and didn’t want, and to generate support and momentum around the plans.
The listed walls in the garden are crumbling and in need of repair; many participants who wanted to access our activities over recent years couldn’t make it safely into the garden; facilities are lacking for those who are elderly, in ill health or with mobility problems to be able to safely and comfortably enjoy the space; the changing rooms building is an eyesore and in need of refurbishment or demolition.
The plan that emerged from many years of process and participatory design, permaculture and ponderings, is to develop the walled garden into a therapeutic garden enabling health and wellbeing through the healing power of nature, plants and herbs; and to transform the changing rooms building into a therapy and wellbeing centre with affordable space for holistic therapists, as well as office and storage space for the organisation.
In 2018, Grants from Power To Change Bright Ideas Fund and the Architectural Heritage Fund allowed for a viability study to develop plans and costings. Harrison Stringfellow Architects and Howard Miller Design drew up outline plans and specialists were engaged to undertake the various essential surveys in heritage, ecology, structural engineering, etc and allowed us to assess what is needed and what is feasible. A permaculture consultation and design process was used throughout to consider all the elements of the space and how they can work together to best effect - for the project, people and the environment.
Key to the future financial success of the project is the income generated from the changing room building which, in turn, will support the delivery of activities in the walled garden. Following the development of a community business plan, and a long process with funders, in January 2020 Growing Sudley were informed they had successfully secured funding from Power to Change and Tudor Trust to refurbish the former changing rooms and a planning application was submitted to Liverpool City Council. There were no objections from residents and many letters of support, and once some logistical planning and stakeholder issues were resolved, the project was granted permission in Dec 2020.
During 2020 and 2021 our volunteer-led team faced many obstacles, including the global pandemic. The Changing Rooms project was delayed due to some difficult, unforseen and unnecessary issues, which in turn led to a huge increase in costs as the effects of Covid-19 and Brexit were felt in the construction industry. The Changing Rooms project was very nearly derailed, but a momentum seemed to be there and with a lot of work we hope we’ve managed to salvage the plans. Thanks to a crowdfund campaign in 2021 and social investment from The Key Fund we aim to complete this project that’s been so long in the making.
During Winter 2021 to Spring 2022, the walled garden will be transformed into a Therapeutic Garden for Health, Wellbeing and Play through the Healing Power of Nature, Plants and Herbs, and the Changing Rooms will be developed into a Therapy and Wellbeing Centre. If things go to plan we hope to be welcoming customers from the local community and beyond for treatments from early 2022, and opening up the garden to the public as soon as works are completed.
