North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson has taken part in the Penhill Community Fun Day which has helped to raise money for local and national charities.
Justin was also able to revisit the Penhill Haven, a project which he kick-started by turning the first soil over right at the beginning. The project was supported by Wiltshire Wildlife Trust as part of a new Heritage Lottery-funded scheme to take communities back to their roots.
The haven project was initiated by local resident Glynis Hales, who wanted to turn the open space into a community green space to grow wildflowers, fruit and vegetables as well as a safe den for the estate’s youngsters.
Justin Tomlinson MP said: “Glynis has done a great job with this local project and I am delighted that the space is being respected and used as a place for people to really enjoy. It’s important to protect our local wildlife and when it can benefit the community by providing a nice spot for people to visit or walk to then it’s a real bonus to the area.”
Glynis Hales said: “The idea behind the project is to show that you can grow food, support wildlife, butterflies and bees and have an area for children to play in, while looking nice. This is the first year that we have been able to do any work here, and it is very much a work in progress. This is the pilot project and hopefully it will encourage people to take on something similar.”
