What is Bluebell Green?
Your community space in the heart of Levenshulme: Bluebell Green is a volunteer run community garden and children’s area in the old bowling green in Chapel Street Park.
We’re a place to connect to nature and each other. You can pop down to enjoy the space, get involved as a volunteer, learn new skills, bring children to play or come to one of our many events.
This year our big focus is climate, environment and the community. We’re running a series of events and workshops thanks to funding from the Greater Manchester Environment Fund.
We're open every Saturday 9.30-2pm for volunteering and to just come and play with kids and relax.
Gardening and Growing
Help to make a positive change to the environment, increase biodiversity, and develop the skills to make our own gardens more wildlife friendly. Gardening at Bluebell Green is a brilliant way to make an impact, meet new people, and boost your well-being. You don’t need any gardening skills!
What can you do?
General Volunteering
We have established over 20 growing beds, a polytunnel, composting, water harvesting system and orchard, as well as planting over 500 edible trees and bushes around the perimeter. This year we will be landscaping the pond, creating pollinator and bug friendly bankings, developing a food forest and doing more to welcome wildlife to the green. We need help to maintain all this.
- Mondays: Gardening at the Green, 6-7.30pm
- Saturdays: Community and Volunteer Day, 9.30- 2pm
The Growing Beds
We currently have 5 community beds, 5 street beds, a plant-based dyes collective, children’s beds, a Roma community group bed, homeschool group, and Chapel Street School parents’ group; as well as the polytunnel. Would you like to get involved with the next growing season?
Street Beds
We also have 5 Street Beds that groups of neighbours work on together. It’s a great way to meet people on your street and grow our community as well as the plants. This year we’ll be distributing plants through the neighbourhood as part of our big plant giveaway, making scarecrows and celebrating at our Midsummer Party and Harvest Festival. Find out if your street is included or get in touch if you’d like to set up a new bed for your street.
Workshops
- Therapeutic Horticulture Workshop- Saturday 29th April, time tbc
- Gardening Basics- May 15th & 22nd, June 5th & 19th, 6-8pm
- Composting- tbc, check our media
Children at Bluebell Green
Developed by education specialists, our children’s play area is designed to engage children with nature and enjoy outdoor play. Connecting with nature is proven to increase children’s wellbeing and self-confidence, as well as helping the next generation care about climate and the environment.
In our children’s area you’ll find: a mud kitchen, mud pit, wooden tractor, music wall, wooden teepee, willow fedge, water play, story circle and more. We also have a pond that will soon be ready for pond exploration sessions. And we’re fundraising all the time to improve further.
We run 3 weekly sessions for 0-5s. Come dressed for muddy and messy play. There is shelter so we’re open in all weathers.
- Little Moles, Monday from 10-11.30. Join us for stories, songs, crafts, sensory play and a wide range of activities.
- Wee Welly Wednesday, Wednesday from 9.30-11. Free play session. Come down and explore the site.
- Little Bookworms, Friday from 2-3.30pm. Storytime in nature.
We’re also open every Saturday 9.30-2pm to come down and play.
And check out our events! We run regular events for the whole community which include activities for children.
If you’d like to run a session or help open up the site more often, please get in touch.
EVENTS
March
Saturday 4th March: A Prickle of Hedgehogs: Hedgehog Awareness Day, 10-1pm. Hedgehog house workshop and talk, plus crafts and activities for kids.
April
Easter Holidays- Bird Fortnight (check the website/ social media nearer the time for more details)
Saturday 15th April: Birds, Birds, Birds, 10-2pm. Bird box making, plant sunflower seeds, scarecrow making and more
17th- 30th: Big plant giveaway
May
Saturday 13th Creating a Garden for Children and Wildlife, 11-1pm
Saturday 27th: Sunflower Day 10-2pm. Plant sunflowers, ‘build’ a sunflower fence, sunflower painting and more.
June
Half-Term= Bug Week (check the website/ social media nearer the time for more details)
Saturday 3rd- Big Bug Bonanza, 10-1pm
Saturday 24th: Midsummer Street Party, time tbc
July
Saturday 1st July: Workshop: How to make your own barrel or bucket pond, 10-12 noon
August
Saturday 12th August, Pride at Bluebell Green (details tbc)
What is Bluebell Green?
Your community space in the heart of Levenshulme: Bluebell Green is a volunteer run community garden and children’s area in the old bowling green in Chapel Street Park.
We’re a place to connect to nature and each other. You can pop down to enjoy the space, get involved as a volunteer, learn new skills, bring children to play or come to one of our many events.
This year our big focus is climate, environment and the community. We’re running a series of...
