The new Green Gym in the Walled Garden in Howden was launched at the end of October last year with volunteers coming out as of the middle of November.The project is in full swing now with a second session that started just this month. Volunteers coming along to help gut the garden and turn it into a haven of peace in the centre of Livingston come from two local schools, Toronto Primary School and Cedarbank School, Youth Action Project West Lothian, patients from St John’s hospital and some locals who live nearby.
After a brief talk on how to use the selection of tools (potentially deadly weapons!) the Green Gym guests got stuck in! But not before a bit of a warm-up…
We had visitors from all over West Lothian – the council, youth workers, rangers, residents, school pupils, and also a few special visitors from Green Gyms across Scotland. Once all the talking was over people grabbed loppers, bowsaws, rakes and hoes and got started on the journey of transforming the garden – the beauty being you can still talk while taking part!
It was great day with cutting back, cutting down, clearing, raking and hopefully plenty more will follow…