FoP have obtained a grant of £1000 from the Cheltenham Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Fund 2023, and are contributing a further £1500 from their own funds, to complete phase 1 of a project to turn the six brick planters between the main children’s play area and the aviaries into a sensory garden. The work of clearing out and then replanting the brick planters will be carried out by FoP Green Space Volunteers. The aim of the project is to make the planters informative and fun for children visiting the play area. There are six beds of
varying size, which are enough for the five senses of sight, smell, touch, sound and taste. There is a wide range of plants and objects available to illustrate the various senses.

A small group of volunteers, together with the Cheltenham BC Community Parks Officer, are consulting with local groups such as the Beavers, Dunalley School, Aim Up and Insight on what they would like to see in the sensory garden and how they might use it. Their contributions will inform the design. The group are seeking to enlist the help of a local artist to help add labels, sculpture, painting –
things that will be attractive to visiting families. It may be that, depending on the ideas the artist comes up with, these will be the subject of a phase 2 that will need extra funding.