The Berrington Garden Project

Each week we have been working with SHYPP (Supported Housing for Young People project) to hold creative workshops at Berrington. SHYPP is an award winning project that works to inspire young people to dream more, learn more, do more and become more. They aim to help young people get through tough periods and make a positive transition into an independent thriving lifestyle. Their partnership with Berrington Hall began as a way of engaging different groups from the community with our walled garden. We are doing this as part of the Berrington Garden Project. One aim of the project is to work with local groups, from all backgrounds, to see how they can use the walled garden in a positive way. This year the partnership is developing through holding these workshops which involve the Berrington team, volunteers and members of SHYPP. Keep your eyes peeled to see what we get up to.

We have teamed up with the creative minds of the Hereford College of Arts to see how the students engage with the gardens and use different artist techniques to represent it in their new exhibition 'Patina'. You can see this series of art pieces all the summer, weaved throughout the gardens and each with their own hidden meaning. This partnership has been formed as part of the Walled Garden and Pleasure Ground Restoration Project. We are hoping that partnerships such as this will encourage people from every part of the community to feel in touch with Berrington throughout the project, and help us keep it here for ever, for everyone.

A large part of the Walled Garden and Pleasure Grounds Project is focused on looking at new ways that we can use this space to benefit the local community. We are constantly looking for new ways of doing this. On the 24 May we were able to do this whilst we worked in partnership with ‘Orchard Art’. Orchard Art is a project managed by a community partner, the Brightspace Foundation. It’s aim is to enable people with learning disabilities to spend quality time in orchards, in the company of professional artists, and showcasing the value of orchards to the wider community. David Marshall, Associate of the Brightspace Foundation and Orchard Art, approached us to do something in the ‘LOOK!’ pavilion, which is situated in the heart of the orchard. The Project Manager, Ellie Jones, had already spoken to David about our ambitions to trial working with community partners and using the site in a more participatory way. Dave went back to the students of Barrs Court School and asked the students what they wanted to do. Their response? ‘A disco in the pineapple!’. The event was a huge success, with positive feedback received from the students such as, "It was the best day ever". By working with the local community in ways such as this, we are hoping that this project won’t be just a normal restoration project, but an opportunity for us to help others connect with Berrington in a new and unique way.