Thornliebank Library unveils new community gardens

East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure welcomed local school pupils, volunteers and community leaders to the unveiling of its new Community Garden at Thornliebank Library.

Article Source: East Renfrewshire Culture & Leisure
Last Updated: 4 September 2024 12:20

Library staff have worked with local volunteers and school pupils over the last three years to transform the outdoor space at the library into a Community Garden for local residents to enjoy, with funding from the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC).

Thornliebank Primary School pupils devised initial design ideas and were delighted to see their ideas come to life, with planters for growing fruit and vegetables, fruit trees and seating areas for children and adults to relax and enjoy the space.

The Community Garden features a large bug hotel, ladybird crossing and children's games, as well as vegetable planters, rhubarb and herbs, apple and gooseberry trees and various plants that attract bees and butterflies. An eco mosaic, created using recycled materials by young art enthusiasts who attended East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure's first Eco Art and Drama Camp, is also on display in the garden. A potting table, cold stores, garden storage and composter completes the transformed space.

Scott Simpson, Head of Library and Information Services at East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure, said: "We are very proud to present our new Community Garden, which is now available for all local residents to enjoy.

"This has been a real community effort and we're grateful to everyone involved for their ideas, skills and support in transforming the space. Thornliebank Primary School pupils were welcomed along to explore the new garden, play games, take on a Scavenger hunt, add to our Bug Hotel and listen to stories read by our library team during their visit to the transformed space. Volunteers have been instrumental in getting the garden to where it is now, and we would like to thank them for their efforts. There are opportunities for more volunteers to get involved as we continue to nurture the space, which will be used for community events and activities, such as outdoor Bookbug, school visits and for adults to relax and enjoy reading outdoors."

Jenni Miller, Head Teacher of Thornliebank Primary School, added: "Pupils from Thornliebank Primary have been involved in the development of the Library Community Garden from the very earliest planning stages. They contributed to the design of the logo for the project as well as the plans for developing the library garden space. We were delighted to be invited to the official opening, and the children who attended on the day loved exploring the garden and seeing how the plans have come to life. The bug hotel was a particular favourite, and our Gaelic class will be back along to investigate this further as part of their learning about minibeasts. We are looking forward to continuing the partnerships that have been established through the project and making use of the garden regularly with our classes for outdoor reading and wider outdoor learning opportunities."

The library partnered with Thornliebank Together and successfully received an additional £2000 from Participatory Budgeting, as voted for by local residents. The funding has allowed us to add more storage, equipment, extra planters and a much needed Cold-Store for growing in colder months. Thornliebank Together also donated planters to the front of the library area, which were built by adults who attend the Thornliebank Resource Centre.

Local volunteer, former landscape gardener, Ben Sauer, said: "The space is very attractive and the kids will enjoy using it. It will help them become more interested in birds, smaller animals, insects and wildlife, which will be great, and they will get a taste for planting and growing things too."

Thornliebank Library's new Community Garden is part of a wider initiative, The Root Cause project, which has been running across East Renfrewshire libraries, and includes partnerships with local organisations such as Apparel Exchange for clothes recycling, Halloween costume and welly swaps, the introduction of seed libraries, and a range of programmes, events and activities that have been designed to raise awareness of sustainability, green issues and the environment.

For more information on the Root Cause project, visit: www.ercultureandleisure.org/blog/

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