Wild Flowers in Blackbird Leys

The Wild Flowers in Blackbird Leys project addresses a significant need for a nurturing environment that primarily benefits mothers and children in the community. The project aims to promote mental and physical health through structured well-being sessions, art therapy workshops, and educational gardening activities.

The Blackbird Leys community is one of the most deprived in Oxford and Oxfordshire and is home to many refugees and asylum seekers. Many individuals experience feelings of loneliness and disconnect, highlighting the necessity for a safe and inclusive space where they can connect with nature and engage in enriching activities. The project site also includes a mud kitchen for children that fosters imaginative play and sensory experiences. Furthermore, the project provides valuable opportunities for students from the local college just a few hundred metres away to gain practical experience in carpentry while contributing to the site infrastructure.

To successfully complete this initiative and realize its benefits, we require funding for essential items such as a covered seating area, weed barriers, pots and seeds, materials (ie wood and nails) so that we can create a vibrant community hub that enhances social engagement, learning, and personal growth.

Create an safe site that serves as a nurturing environment for mothers, children, and community members to escape loneliness and connect with nature. Key features include,
? Organize structured programs focused on promoting mental and physical health for participants of all ages.
? Facilitate creative sessions for both children and adults to express themselves and foster emotional well-being.
? Conduct educational activities that teach participants how to cultivate and care for plants, encouraging sustainable practices.
? Develop a playful area where children can engage in imaginative play, enhancing their sensory experiences and creativity.
? Partner with City of Oxford College to provide carpentry work experience for students, allowing them to contribute to the project by building planters and fencing under the guidance of a Carpentry Technician.

Mothers in the community who have a passion or interest in gardening will be able to run sessions and be responsible for specific tasks, children will have a play area where they can interactively plan and make friends, but also learn about nature and learn how to plant. We will have skilled asylum seekers volunteer and build the necessary equipment (when the college might not be able to support with) and ensure inclusion in gardening and social activities specifically for them. We have a skill registry with talented moms who offered to run art sessions for children and adults.