Contributed by Flora Beverley
Flora is a resident who transformed a local alleyway, supported in part by a Knowle West Alliance Small Grant. Find out more, including future volunteer days by following Flora @backtobristol on Instagram.
An alleyway between Wingfield Road and St John’s Crescent has been transformed by volunteers to create a space for the community and wildlife. Despite being a thoroughfare for local children and people walking to work, the space was used as a dumping ground – volunteers found needles, broken glass and rusty metal, among other things, during the litter pick.
The community group Pollinator Pathways Project received funding from the Knowle West Alliance Small Grants fund to ‘clean and green’ the space, removing litter and creating pollinator-friendly planters for wildlife.
Flora Beverley, who led the project, kept everything as local as possible, with The Factory at Knowle West Media Centre creating the planters, the wood for signage from Bristol Recycling Project, the paint from charity Re:Work in Filwood, and the plants from Bristol-based company Dig and Blaise Nursery. At the end of the project local mural artist Yoli Ward-Streeter created a mural to brighten the once dark walls.
This alleyway was just the start. “It sometimes feels like the council has forgotten about Knowle West and its residents, as we don’t get pretty planters or budget for street lighting like some other areas do. But the community came together to make this project happen from the ground up. It’s amazing what we can achieve with some volunteers and help from local organisations! We’ve received further funding and intend to brighten many more alleyways in the local area”.
Flora is looking to develop her idea nationally and has been featured on the BBC
KWA Small Grants programme has supported and funded a various small groups, and individuals to deliver projects across Knowle West. More information can her found on our Small Grant page or by visiting Knowle West Alliance on YouTube.
Knowle West Alliance 