A RALLYING call has been issued for residents to vote for a peace garden at Coventry Canal Basin which is in the running to win £20,000 from the Severn Trent Community Fund Gold Award scheme.
The project is the brainchild of Mercia Lions with the British Organisation for People of Asian Origin, the Canal and River Trust and the Coventry Canal Basin Trust. The Garden aims to breathe new life into Coventry Canal Basin by becoming the focus for annual celebration events and monthly volunteer activities.
But this will only happen with the funding.
Eight projects in the Severn Trent region have a chance of winning the Gold award with the canal basin the only one from Coventry, Mercia Lions President
Lion Davinder Prasad said the group was delighted Coventry Canal Basin had been shortlisted as it was a very special place for the group.
“We’ve held our annual Commonwealth Cultural Mela celebrations here for the past two years, attracting hundreds of visitors.
“If we win the public vote, volunteers from local faith and community centres will gather at the Community Peace Garden each month for canal clean-up and environmental activities.
“But it can only happen with your vote”.
The volunteer programme will bring people together from Coventry’s faith centres and schools, many who have little regular contact with nature and have been adversely affected by the pandemic. They will help manage Coventry’s five-and-half miles of canal and gather at the Peace Garden for environmental, biodiversity and wellbeing activities, social events, clean-ups, habitat management and arts and music events.
Ian Lane from the Canal and River Trust urged canal users across the Midlands to vote.
“Coventry Canal Basin is Coventry’s gateway to the Midlands’ canal network.
“If we win the vote, we’re excited about engaging with people from minority communities and helping to connect them to their local canal, maybe for the first time.”
Lord Mayor of Coventry, Coun John McNicholas, said the canal basin was unique – a local park for local residents and businesses, an outdoor events space for the whole city and the first impression people had when arriving by boat.
“The garden is the first thing boaters see as they enter the basin under the bridge. It’s important for the city, so please vote.”
Alison Lambert of the Canal Basin Trust designed the original Canal Basin garden and has helped create the new design, which includes activity spaces, native plants and seating.
She said, “The garden has been cared for by the Canal Basin Trust for 25 years, but has become tired and needs a facelift.”
Severn Trent Community Fund Officer Natalie Cunningham said as the official nature and carbon neutral supporter of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, temporarily refocusing the stream for projects supporting nature and the environment was the obvious thing to do.
“The fund will create some fantastic opportunities for communities right across the region to get some nature positive projects up and running.”
People can vote for the Coventry Canal Basin project at stwater.co.uk/publicvote before the deadline of April 24.
