Liverpool Festival Gardens recognised at the Love Parks Awards

The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) has received a Highly Commended award in the Diversity category of the Love Parks Awards for its work in Liverpool’s Festival Gardens.

The Love Parks Awards celebrate groups that improve and protect green spaces. The award for diversity recognises groups that embrace the whole community and give a voice to multiple generations, ethnic minorities, those who are unemployed and ex-offenders.

At Liverpool Festival Gardens – owned by Liverpool City Council and managed on its behalf by the Land Trust in partnership with TCV – those who are unemployed can complete a month-long work experience placement with TCV to bolster their skills and experience in horticulture, the environment, construction and computers. TCV also collaborates with Merseyside probation to deliver community rehab once a week.

A wide diversity of age and ethnic groups volunteer for the gardens. TCV engages with local schools and colleges, where field trip students conduct activities such as habitat surveys, pond dipping, seed bombing, habitat management, small mammal trapping, habitat conservation and horticulture.

The Japanese Embassy chooses the Festival Gardens to deliver the annual Tanabata festivals local primary school children to promote cultural awareness, in addition to a public celebration.

Joseph Evans, TCV Park Ranger at Festival Gardens said: “We’re delighted to see the Festival Gardens recognised at the Love Parks Awards. Our volunteers work really well and are always willing to get stuck in to every task.

“Some of the individuals who’ve participated in the month-long work experience placements go on to volunteer regularly for the park. They’ve vocalised that since volunteering here, their confidence has improved, which has inspired them back into employment.”