The Saving South Cliff Gardens April 2020 project newsletter has been published. It includes:
- resources to help you and your children cope with the coronavirus lockdown
- activities to stay connected with the project
- a photography/art competition
- blogs from the project team
- an appeal for help in finding information about the gardens benches
- project updates
(Please allow time for this file to load)
Here are some key extracts:
Introduction
Hello and welcome to this month’s newsletter, it comes at an unprecedented and uncertain time and so will not be quite like our normal offering.
The team at South Cliff had been so looking forward to inviting you to join us for a range of activities within the gardens this spring. Whilst we don’t know how long it will be before we are able to get back into using the gardens or what kinds of social gatherings will be possible we can still lend our support to the community and try to seek ways to stay in touch.
We have already released a few information sheets with suggestions of things to do whilst we stay safe by staying inside and we will add some new resources later in the newsletter.
It has been really heart-warming to see so much generosity of spirit and ingenuity in people’s response to this situation. Technology has never seemed more integral to our lives as people work, teach, socialise and play online, in fact so much digital content has been created and shared in order to help us to get through this crisis that it’s hard to keep up. But of course not everyone has access to the computers, smart phones and tablets that so many of us have come to rely on. For them this time must be even more challenging as they face a prolonged period of confinement alongside an enhanced layer of social isolation.
It would be easy to overlook this concern in the face of so many more urgent issues but happily that is not the case. Coordinating Scarborough’s community response to the pandemic are the wonderful folk at Scarborough and Filey Covid-19 Response. Having first understandably placed the emphasis on ensuring that the critical needs of local people rendered vulnerable by this unique situation are met they have now turned their attention to those who are self-isolating without access to forms of online entertainment.
With libraries which form such an important community lifeline for so many currently closed, they are arranging a book swap scheme which will drop off and collect book bundles for those who don’t have access to an e-reading device. They will of course be following strict isolation protocols to ensure everyone’s safety. So if you know someone who would benefit from this service or you have some books you could donate please contact them on 01723 379058.
They are also trying to put together activity packages to help keep people mentally stimulated whilst homebound. To find out more about this and all of their incredible work follow them on Facebook where you will also find lots of tips and local support information on everything from which grocery stores and cafés are offering home delivery to ideas for keeping busy.
https://www.facebook.com/sfcr2020/
We, here on the South Cliff Team, really want to keep engaging the local community with our project as much as possible. We know from the huge support we have already received in the build up to and since winning the National Lottery Heritage Fund bid just, how much the revival of this much loved Scarborough asset means to so many of you.
Gardens are a great place of healing and we hope that some of you are still able to use South Cliff for your daily exercise in line with Government guidelines. If so why not post a picture from your walk, jog or bike ride on our Twitter feed?
@HLFSCGardens
We would love to share your experiences of the gardens as there is nothing more uplifting than connecting with the natural world. Seeing the gardens bursting into spring life and knowing that they are playing even a small part in keeping people fit and healthy both mentally and physically at this time would mean a great deal to us all.
The South Cliff Gardens Team
An update from Southern Green
The current restrictions are presenting new challenges for everybody at present and we hope that you’re all well and making the best of your local outdoor spaces as best you can. The South Cliff Team have been moving forward with finalising the restoration proposals for South Cliff Gardens remotely and we hope that over the next month the tender will be published for the construction works and we will find out who will be delivering the proposed works, an exciting landmark for the project!
In the meantime we’ve been working hard to develop some of the branding and identity elements for the park including a logo, website and colour palette. One of the really distinctive aspect of the gardens is how different designers over the years have approached design of the pleasure gardens and the individual character that has developed over time in different areas of South Cliff Gardens. We felt it imperative that the restoration proposals respond to these individual character traits and that the experience of these areas was enhanced. The role of a graphic identity for the gardens then, would be to unify these diverse characters under a single brand. Something distinctive and instantly recognisable for those local to the gardens and something that could draw in visitors and let them know that no matter where on the South Cliff they are, that they are part of the wider gardens. The logo and identity should respond to the design styles within the park, the particular coastal and physical plant groups and the architectural styles and landscape features throughout. The team have developed three logo options for consultation and this is your opportunity to continue to play an important role the future of the gardens.
Given the social distancing measures at present we are consulting through the means available to us: through the website and through social media and hopefully many of you have already contributed to this. Once a decision has been made we’ll publish the final logo and identity and start to role this out across the digital media for the gardens.
Please follow the link bellow to have your say on the branding choice:
https://www.scarborough.gov.uk/consultations-have-your-say/south-cliff-gardens-branding-consultation
Scott Matthews
Principal Landscape Architect
Southern Green
Vicky Thompson’s blog
Well my house plants have never been more cared for and the ducks that live outside my back door are looking quite satisfyingly plump but I must admit I really miss the sea! I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who’s sending me photos of the South Cliff via twitter and email, they are very gratefully received!
Now more than ever I find myself excited about the future of parks, gardens and public open spaces. For years my green-fingered professional friends and I have been passionately pushing public green space onto as many agendas as possible, outlining the huge social value that they hold. Now people have to listen! How unbearable would this lockdown be without public green spaces, without the ability to exercise outdoors with plenty of space around you, escape the partner for a quite walk, or burn off your kid’s extra energy? I wonder the greater negative effects and financial cost that not having greenspace would have on our delicate NHS and mental health services. Public green spaces are currently the crutch supporting and holding up our society and we need to invest now to ensure that it’s not pulled out from underneath us.
People keep asking me how COVID 19 will affect the Saving South Cliff Gardens Project and the answer is I don’t know. At the moment I feel we are crossing the river by feeling the stones, we dip our toes in, check if its stable, step forward if it is, or step back if not and feel for another option. It’s hard to see how to get to the other side while the river is deep and flowing fast. I can, however, tell you that COVID 19 will delay the project getting started but we do not know to what extent yet. There’s much speculation and contractors are reluctant to commit to costs and timetables due to the current level of uncertainty which is fully understandable. The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Community Fund have been amazingly supportive and are still fully committed to the project.
When it comes to it, it is uncertain how COVID 19 will affect construction sites but I suspect work will take longer to allow for social distancing practices and to keep worker safe depending on where we are with the pandemic by then. The recommendation at the moment is to minimise congestion and interactions where possible in the work area, stagger start and finishing times for contractors, provide more toilet facilities and introduce enhanced cleaning. Some of you may know that I started out my career on building sites as a young woman and I have to say I feel the idea of boosting toileting and washing facilities for workers on sites will be a very positive and welcome addition.
I’ve been thinking too on how the design might need to change to support social distancing in the future if we should ever go through such a thing again as a community. On reflection the team have invested as much as they can into making the site as accessible as possible within the heritage and slope restrictions. However, community needs change so we must collect information on the current deviations in patterns of use within the gardens, monitor and re-evaluate the project regularly to ensure the garden grows with the needs of the community.
I’m visualising the post-virus South Cliff Gardens as a positive one, for me it’s important that we don’t stick with the environment and working practices we inherit, we work hard now to build the world we want to take into the renaissance. As an avid chess player it’s now time to build a strong and winning opening, but keep half an eye on the long game.
If you don’t stand up for something, you could fall for anything!
Vicky Thompson
Project Officer
Gemma Alexander’s blog
I’ve never felt more privileged to live in Scarborough than I do right now. With so much uncertainty in the world the simple privilege of being able to use my permitted daily exercise to walk on the beach and breathing deep salty breaths of air whilst listening to the hypnotic crash of waves and the squabbles of nesting gulls is a balm for the spirit.
There is a restorative quality to being in nature in all seasons but spring carries with it a unique optimism that can help us to cope with even the darkest times, whether it’s a walk by water or beneath the dappled light of an emerging tree canopy or sitting in quiet contemplation in a garden, nature invites us to take a pause from our concerns even as it is at its busiest.
Whilst many of us are taking full advantage of our time outside for so many others the severity of the threat that this pandemic poses means that it is simply too great a risk to leave their homes even with social distancing measures in place.
Helping people connect with the natural world is fundamental to our project. Though it may not be a substitute for the real experience there are still ways to enjoy nature even for those not able to physically engage with it for the time being.
TV wildlife presenter Chris Packham is livestreaming daily from his home in the beautiful New Forest, his show is jam packed with wildlife content including unique web cam footage of nesting birds, expert guests, tutorials and much more, just pop along to his Facebook page at 9am weekdays.
https://www.facebook.com/ChrisGPackham/
For those missing the sounds of our feathered friends Birdsong FM plays a free stream of dawn chorus:
https://www.birdsong.fm/
For those craving a view of the countryside YouTube has a vast collection of virtual walks. They vary in length and type of location so there is something for everyone. For anyone exercising on treadmills as an alternative to leaving the house there are even tours specifically designed to take the tedium out of training. Just type “virtual walking tours uk” in to YouTube and choose your destination. Garden and heritage tours are also available.
The 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, the planets largest civic event, on the 22nd of April saw people from around the globe take the time to reflect on our relationship with our planet, unable to take to the streets they instead went online to discuss and debate the way forwards in the fight against devastating climate change. Lots of parents also used it as an opportunity to engage their children with environmental issues but it doesn’t have to stop at a single day of action. There are lots of resources online to help you continue the discussion and encouraging kids to take an interest in nature, conservation and how we can all contribute to saving our precious planet.
The Countryside Classroom has an education hub jam packed with information and work sheets on curriculum/ key stage matched subjects on everything from food sustainability to green spaces so it’s a great place to find resources which encourage kids to learn and play simultaneously:
https://www.countrysideclassroom.org.uk/
By creating a free subscription to National Geographic Kids you can gain access to lots of downloadable information sheets suitable for primary aged kids including a range on environmental issues:
https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/teacher-category/primary-resources/
Free for Kids has lots of worksheets and quizzes to help keep learning about environmental issues fun:
http://www.free-for-kids.com/childrens-environment-quizzes.shtml
Struggling to find ways to engage teens? The Young Peoples Trust for the Environment has you covered with a raft of fact sheets, videos and articles to explore, they also have material suitable for the younger members of the household:
https://ypte.org.uk/learn
Wildlife Watch, the junior branch of The Wildlife Trust has pooled lots of fantastic information on fun activities including crafts and games and there’s loads of free resources to download as well:
https://www.wildlifewatch.org.uk/educational-resources
These are just a few ideas to help us all keep talking about and engaging with the natural world whilst we stay safe by staying inside. I hope you find them helpful and I look forward to a time when we can once again share the joys of a visit to South Cliff Gardens together.
Gemma Alexander
Community Engagement Officer
Don’t forget to read the full newsletter at the top of this post!
^ ^ click here ^ ^
You can also download the newsletter here:
savingsouthcliffgardens.com/…/April-Newsletter…pdf [1MB]