A grants scheme to help projects that improve the environment and wellbeing for communities in the Kirkstall Valley has presented the second round of its awards.
The scheme aims to empower residents in the Kirkstall Valley (Armley, Burley, Bramley, Kirkstall, Rodley and Horsforth) to “create a leading example of what a sustainable future could look like”.
It focuses on what can be achieved by small-scale projects with limited resources, and how that can inspire lasting community connection and is is a joint initiative between Kirkstall Valley Development Trust (KVDT) and Open Source Arts (OSA), with support from Power to Change.
The three award winners in this round were:
James Gray – Park Green Community Project, Armley
Park Green is a community-owned space in Armley, which is in desperate need of some improvements.
Residents are coming together to change the Green into an ecological community space, with a new bee-friendly border with indigenous wildflowers, insect hotels, communal composting for kitchen waste and maintenance to the iron fence.
The project hopes to encourage residents to take pride in their local green spaces, share skills and knowledge by getting involved in gardening and to engage with recycling, especially our food scraps which often end up in landfills. The grant will be used for tools needed for the work on the land.
Dr Tig Calvert – Flower Gardens, Kirkstall Lane
A small group of neighbours wish to contribute to the community by planting flower gardens in properties off Kirkstall Lane (Ash Road/Langdales and surrounding area) – particularly properties where landlords or residents are not currently able to maintain a garden.
They will supply planters, hanging baskets, plants and aftercare to enable the community to enjoy bee and butterfly attracting flowers and natural wild areas where appropriate.
The project is to be run by volunteers. The project can easily be extended to other areas within the Kirkstall Valley region with the help of new volunteers.
Priya Sidharh and Beth Stepan – One Billion Rising Leeds
One Billion Rising is a global response to the UN statistic that one in three women experience rape or serious violence, encouraging people everywhere to ‘rise’ against this issue.
The One Billion Rising Leeds campaign celebrates the brilliant work of our local charities and supports them in their aims, through community collaboration.
OBR Leeds will be facilitating workshops for Leeds residents to come together and get creative in expressing solidarity with the local charities that work towards ending violence against women and girls, and will print the artwork created in a booklet, to share in fundraising endeavours for these charities.
Applications for round three welcome
If you live or work in the Kirkstall Valley area and you have an idea for a great project that you could run in the local community, take a look at the Kirkstall Valley Grants website to find out if you’d be eligible. Or give Open Source Arts a call on 0113 246 8975.
The first round saw funding for Edible Beds Project in Bramley, Bug Houses on the Broadleas in Bramley, hedgehog conservation in Armley and neighbourhood planting in Eden Crescent, Kirkstall. Read The Dispatch’s report here.
