This exciting community venture has seen 5,000ft² of the galleria car park transformed into a green, living and breathing space – complete with vegetable and herb plots, wild flowers, herbaceous and perennial beds, and established trees and shrubs.

The purpose of the community and learning garden is to help children from Potential Kids develop their social and communication skills, reduce social isolation, and help them develop friendships while developing skills, forming a hobby and doing something fun.

There will be areas for growing fruit and vegetables to share locally, for propagating plants, and for creating a mindfulness and sensory garden for reflection. The Community and Learning garden will be crucial for mental wellbeing and social connectiveness.

Areas with group activities such as this boost confidence for young people (particularly the neurodiverse community) helping them to complete logical and mathematical tasks, problem solving and use of imagination. This can also be said for the intergenerational working that will occur here as well as being a centre for encouraging healthy eating connections, learning about nature and the environment, sustainability, exercise and fresh air. Potential to Grow will promote a sense of community, working with others and shared responsibility for living things as well as a sense of achievement.