The blossoming community in Greater Manchester taking pride in their area

“Levenshulme is a bit shabby, but it’s actually such a vibrant area,” says Sheila Standard, a member of Levenshulme in Bloom, a community group aiming to spruce up the area.

The Levenshulme in Bloom initiative aims to revitalise the neighbourhood, promote biodiversity, and create a more inviting environment for both residents and visitors.

Levenshulme is undoubtedly a place on the rise, with an exciting array of vibrant places to eat and drink.

With the help of Levenshulme in Bloom, it could become an even better place to live.

Levenshulme in Bloom

The project’s vision is to encourage residents and businesses to grow flowers, particularly those that attract bees, enhancing the area’s natural beauty and ecological health.

The effort aligns perfectly with the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) recent shift toward promoting wildflowers and pollinator-friendly plants in their Britain in Bloom competition.

“We want to cheer up the area”

Sheila said: “We want to cheer up the area and encourage everyone to grow flowers for bees and create more green routes. The RHS now emphasises growing wildflowers, which is right on track with what we believe in.”

An exciting aspect of Levenshulme in Bloom is its participation in the RHS’s In Your Neighbourhood (IYN) program, a subcategory of the larger Britain in Bloom competition.

This program allows even the smallest projects to enter and be judged independently in July.

Levenshulme is being judged on the 16th and 17th of July, but results won’t be available until October.

Projects are graded across five levels, from starter to outstanding, fostering a sense of continuous improvement and community pride.

The Bee Sanctuary

The Bee Sanctuary is located at the southern end of Highfield Country Park in Levenshulme.

This notable participant has consistently achieved Outstanding ratings and won the prestigious NWRHS Biodiversity Cup for the North West in 2022.

The Bee Sanctuary Movement Group blogs on their Facebook page, which you can see here.

Such accomplishments have inspired further involvement and creativity within the community. In 2023, volunteers received training at the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show, learning from successful initiatives like Didsbury in Bloom.

Inspired by Didsbury’s success, where Manchester City Council (MCC) supports local businesses in maintaining planters, Sheila and her team adopted a similar approach.

“Our Neighbourhood Officer, Emily Littler, loved the idea and assembled a team of MCC officers to help us. We’ve started organising and already have many groups involved, including those working on public spaces and alleyways,” Sheila explained.

This collaborative effort has led to the formation of the A6 Collective, a group dedicated to enhancing the main thoroughfare with planters sponsored by local traders.

These planters, crafted from recycled wood by “Touchwood,” are both sturdy and eco-friendly, fitting perfectly with the project’s ethos.

Community Action Day

The first significant milestone for Levenshulme in Bloom was the Action Day held on April 21st.

Volunteers gathered to weed existing planters, replenish soil, and prepare the village green for new plantings. Sheila recounted the event with enthusiasm: “It was a great start, and we all loved it. Next, we’ll be sowing wildflower seeds and planting summer bulbs and perennials.”

Levenshulme in Bloom not only aims to beautify the area but is also encouraging people to take a sense of pride in where they live.

As the project continues to grow, it stands as a testament to what can be achieved when people come together to help their communities.

Work will continue after the judging, with more planters and flowers.

Despite working against time this year, the team looks forward to planning their next steps carefully.

With many ideas and a long road ahead, they will meet in August to decide their future actions. Already, the initiative has been transformative. The Bee Sanctuary is just five years old.

What could Levenshulme look like in five years?

For more information on how to get involved or support the project, residents and local businesses are encouraged to reach out to Sheila Standard at [email protected]