Hothampton Revamp for Community Garden

A community action day is being organised to revamp a Bognor Regis garden and to provide advice and support to local residents.

A host of volunteers and organisations, including Arun District Council, Sussex Police and the Bognor Community Gardeners, will join forces on Monday, January 16 between 11am and 1pm at Hothampton Sunken Gardens.

During the last few months, Arun's landscape maintenance contractors, ISS Facilities Services Landscapes, has been heavily reducing the overgrown shrubs to provide a more open and less intimidating park alongside the Bognor Community Gardeners.

This has been a tried and tested method for reducing anti-social behaviour and allows more light for smaller flowers to bloom.

The Parks department and Sussex Police have organised the day to try to highlight the changes that have been made in the park and to build on the growing community spirit in this more deprived area of the town.

The Bognor Community Gardeners will be refurbishing the benches on the day and will be providing teas and coffees via the Rosie Lee Café for workers.

The new gardening group came together in November with the aim of improving their health and wellbeing through gardening activities which benefit the whole community and make Bognor Regis a greener and more wildlife friendly town.

The Council's Community Safety team and local police officers will be on hand to offer crime prevention help, advice and information to anybody who wants it and discuss any problems that may be affecting the local community.

They will be demonstrating and encouraging local residents to sign up to the new Community Messaging system to receive up to date information on incidents occurring in their area direct from police.

Community safety officers will be handing out free car crime prevention packs and anti-purse theft devices.

Helen Wilson, Arun's Senior Community Parks Officer, has helped organise the event.

Helen said: "We're really pleased to be working with these other agencies and the new gardening group to inject a greater sense of community spirit and care into this park. Since work has recently been done by the Council and the Bognor Community Gardeners to reduce the shrub cover we have already received positive feedback and we want to carry on this positivity into the New Year."

PCSO Michelle Davies, added: "It is a great opportunity for residents to see the work undertaken so far within the gardens, meet their local officers and other agencies that provide advice and support in the area. We look forward to seeing the residents there"

Other groups involved in the day include the Bognor Regis in Bloom working party, The Greener Bognor Network and the Big Love charity, which works with homeless and deprived members of the community and Neighbourhood Watch.

 The event runs from 11am to 1pm on Monday, January 16.