Planters provide ‘pop of colour’ to town centre churchyard

A once-neglected corner of St Giles churchyard in Northampton town centre has been transformed into a peaceful new seating area, thanks to a collaboration between local organisations, students, and volunteers.

This part of the churchyard had previously been a problem area, often collecting litter and showing signs of anti-social behaviour. With support from Northampton Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID), St Giles Community Group led a project to turn the space into something positive and welcoming.

Two benches, five hanging basket posts and a bin, reclaimed from the recent Abington Street works and donated by West Northamptonshire Council, were refurbished by students from Northampton College, who also designed and built the surrounding planters.

Kier, the contractors responsible for delivering the Abington Street project, carried out the groundworks and installed the reused public realm furnishings, helping to make the area safe and accessible.

Northampton Town Council also made a donation from the Northampton in Bloom funding to help with the purchase of new flowers.

Kardi Somerfield from St Giles Community Group said: “It’s been brilliant to see so many people get involved. What was once an eyesore is now a beautiful and useful space that’s already being enjoyed by local residents and visitors.

“We sourced sustainable, pollinator-friendly plants and herbs for the planters, and our volunteers carried out all the planting. Ongoing care for the site will also be community-led and will form part of our Northampton in Bloom efforts. It’s an area we can all be proud of.”

The improvements in St Giles churchyard mirror those undertaken in St Katherine’s Gardens, with Northampton Town Centre BID also leading on that project as part of a drive to make the town centre more inviting by creating a safe and pleasant green space for workers and families to enjoy.

Mark Mullen, operations manager for Northampton Town Centre BID, said: “We are extremely grateful for the support from our partners at Kier, the staff and students at Northampton College and all the volunteers who have come together to make this happen.

“This project has been carried out with a real eye on sustainability, by upcycling street furniture from Abington Street and creating attractive new planters that will bring an immediate pop of colour to the garden while encouraging pollinators to return year-on-year.”

The project was completed in time to mark National Volunteers Week, which is running this week.

Mark Bradshaw, curriculum manager for construction at Northampton College, added: “As part of our role as the college in the community, having the opportunity to create an attractive, safe and welcoming green space in the heart of the town centre is something we were more than happy to support.

“It was a brilliant experience for our students, giving them the chance to do real work in the community that they will be able to look back on with a sense of satisfaction for years to come. All the volunteers have done a brilliant job in making it look so attractive and should be rightly proud of their efforts.”

For more details visit www.discovernorthampton.co.uk