The Floating Garden has made so much progress since our 2021 Young Grant Makers decided to fund the project. We caught up with Laura Price, Senior Projects Coordinator, to find out more about this vibrant community space and exciting upcoming initiatives including the launch of a new school’s programme.
We recently celebrated the arrival of Spring and the launch of Global Generation’s vibrant Floating Garden, moored on the Regent’s Canal in the heart of King’s Cross. Local residents and families enjoyed a special day of free water-themed activities, creative exploration, herbal tea tasting and storytelling.
How do you felt the community open day went?
The open day was really well attended with lots of positive feedback received. It was so lovely to see the barge buzzing with local families enjoying time together on the water and experiencing something special. The children loved making their little boats and seeing if they would float on the canal!
Can you share any progress and updates on the Floating Garden?
After a long winter it’s wonderful to see the barge blooming and the sunshine returning. Winter was a quiet time as we undertook some internal repair works, although we hosted a series of visits from Blessed Sacrament Primary School between November and January. The pupils planted bulbs and took part in different craft activities, including learning how to make bioplastic from algae and upcycling fabric scraps into decorations for our classroom. Whilst gearing up for our spring launch we’ve also been running sessions on the barge for our Voices of the Water heritage project and with our youth leadership programmes. We hosted two events over the Easter holidays to officially launch the space: a welcome event on the 6th April for young people involved in co-creating the barge to host their families as well as local businesses and organisations, followed by a community open day on the 13th April. Young people from our Ambassador youth leadership programme also hosted an interactive workshop on the barge for Earth Day, linking in with other events and celebrations happening around King’s Cross.
Any other exciting events or activities we can look out for?
We’re very excited for what’s to come over the coming months, including the launch of a schools programme, gardening workshops for the boating community, intergenerational story walks and regular twilight gardening volunteer sessions. Through joining our youth leadership programmes, young people can get involved in greening up and co-creating other elements of the space. We’ve also secured funding for a floating island which we plan to install at the stern of the barge to provide nesting spaces for local wildlife and boost biodiversity on the canal.
Image credit: John Sturrock
