Topic 4 - Gardens People and Spaces Flashcards
Essential points that will make a visit successful pre-visit
Opening hours
Price
Accessibility
Facilities
Parking
Any highlights or events
Essential points that will make a visit successful pre-visit - Directions and Parking
Sat Nav details
Any particular issues with driving and parking
Public Transport arrangements
Times gates are opened for arrivals
Essential points that will make a visit successful pre-visit - ‘Arrivals experience’ and tickets
Clear signposting.
Enough parking
Sufficient booths for payment
Cash and card payment facilities
Well staffed
Pre booking arrangements
Maps and guides
Visits to Historic gardens - Practical issues for accessibility
Avoid choke points
Path surfaces
Arrangements around steps and slopes for cripples
At least Width - 2.4 metres (turning circle 1.2m)
Visits to Historic gardens - Directions and Signage
Enough to be helpful but not too much to distract the visitor and hide the sights
At right angles to the direction
“You are here”
Scale (length of walk)
How do you address issues around visitor flow
Timed entrance tickets
Wider paths at key photo points
Routes around key choke point
“Events” at peak times away from the ‘must see’ sections
Customer care facilities for a visit
Toilets (7 per 1000 women, 5 for men)
Seating
Bins
Staffing
Picnic areas
Buggy parks
How do cafes and plant centres enhance a visitor experience
Plants inked to the location, specialist
Cafes pro long a visit, can be a source of revenue
Promote visits by friends meeting up
What effect will visitors have on working gardens
Positive - Greater engagements with visitors, volunteering opportunities
Negative - Compaction, litter, disrupt staff from work
Can mitigate by having guided tours
Positive impact of “events” in a garden
Additional revenue
Introduce new people to the gardens
Enables the garden to be used at a quieter time (Xmas fair)
Negative impact of “events” in a garden
Requires an outlay of extra sign, staff and publicity
Over subscribed events can cause frustration for visitors and may distance them in the future
What are the 5 steps of community engagement.
Information
Participation
Consultation
Collaboration
Empowerment
5 Steps of community engagement - Information. What does it actually involve
Sharing information about a specific project or initiative to come to a common understanding. Everyone is informed and can take responsibility for a decision.
For example newsletters, social media, press reports
5 Steps of community engagement - Participation. What does it actually involve
Building connected networks and relationships, ownership and trust through mutual involvement.
5 Steps of community engagement - Consultation. What does it actually involve
Sharing thoughts and ideas. Feedback to improve knowledge or an understanding of objectives and expectations.
5 Steps of community engagement - Collaboration. What does it actually involve
Partnering with the community to support action in each aspect of the decision, including the development of alternatives and identification of preferred solutions.
For example joint committees
What role can “friends” play in opening up a garden to the wider community
Enthusiastic gardeners :
Support
Encourage
Engage
Organise seminars
What role do volunteers play in the maintenance of a heritage garden
Gardening
Restoration
Education talks
Fund raising
Administration
How can a heritage garden attract and keep volunteers
Volunteer fairs and open days
Compelling information
Recognition and appreciation
Meaningful work
Opportunities for development
How can social media help create a community around a garden
Sharing information about events
Show casing volunteer involvement
Running contests and challenges
How can gardens boost inclusion and diversity
Gardens can be a neutral environment for bring together groups
Actively promote inclusion by making special provision
Celebrate diversity
Well being - Reduced morbidity - example to back up case
Green Space and health 2016 - Being physically active for 30 minutes a day can directly reduce the risk of of strokes cardiovascular disease, obesity, some cancers and type 2 diabetes.
Well being - Psychological relaxation - example to back up case
“Gardening as a mental health intervention: a review” conducted by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) in collaboration with the University of Sheffield and the University of Westminster. This study, published in 2018
Well being - Stress alleviation - example to back up case
Journal of Clinical Psychology in 2011
Well being - Physical activity - example to back up case
King’s Fund titled “Gardens and health: Implications for policy and practice” published in 2016. This study provides evidence that gardening can be a valuable form of physical activity contributing to overall well-being.
Well being - Noise and pollution reduction - example to back up case
“The Health Benefits of Environmental Improvements” conducted by Natural England, published in 2017
What is Forest Bathing
A process of relaxation
Method of being calm and quiet amongst trees, using breathing
shinri yoku
What is social prescribing
Helping patients to improve their health, wellbeing and social welfare by connecting them to community services which might be run by the council or a local charity. For example Park Run.
List some of the different ways of collecting feedback from visitors to a heritage/public park
Direct questioning - staff did you have a good day
Leaflet
Emails
QR codes
Reading review sites
Surveys
How would you collect feedback from staff volunteers
Anonymous or not
No more than 10 questions
Survey Monkey
Looking for trends or not
What other stakeholders might need to give feedback on a community garden project
The local community
Sponsors
Volunteers
How would you communicate to a stakeholder and the community that changes resulting from feedback are being implemented
Usng a “You said” “we listened” - Newsletter
Meetings / Notice board
Social media
What is the role and purpose of Bench Marking
To enable similar organisations to share best practice and perr review each other.
How much did Garden Tourism contribute to UK GDP in 2018
£2.9 Billion
What are the health benefits of gardening
Vitamin D (Sun shine)
Muscles - back arms legs
Heart
Blood circulation
Blood pressure
What are the benefits of urban green space initiatives
Manages noise and pollution
Air quality
Wildlife
Manages flooding
The key contributions of horticulture to the Economic pillar of sustainability
Job creation
Local economic impact
Diversification and therefore Risk Management
Social enterprise
The key contributions of horticulture to the Social pillar of sustainability
Provide work that can be inclusive
Preserve knowledge and practice
Community building (urban green spaces)
Promoting wellness
Promoting knowledge of ecosystems
The key contributions of horticulture to the Environmental pillar of sustainability
Bio diversity conservation
Soil health and fertility
Water reduction and recycling
Improved air quality
