The celebrations have continued at Bluewater, following its 25th anniversary in March 2024, as the Kent-based shopping and leisure destination has revealed several community focussed projects being run alongside local schools and community groups. The initiatives include creating spaces to educate and inspire, as well as providing spaces for people to congregate and connect.
The shopping centre has been working alongside Knockhall Primary School on ‘The Regeneration Project’, an initiative to transform an overgrown garden and pond into a space which educates young people on how to sow, nurture and promote healthy sustainable living. Bluewater’s team of landscapers worked to clear the area over two days, and donated funds to purchase plants and equipment for the students to use.
The garden, which was opened by the Mayor of Dartford this summer, boasts a sensory space which has been curated to provide calming scents and a sense of tranquillity to the students. It also features a habitat for pollinators, and students are set to create their own forest school there this autumn.
Bluewater has also opened an Allotment Gardening Club on site to allow local community groups and schools to get hands on experience with gardening. The monthly sessions are led by the shopping centre’s landscaping team and invite attendees to learn about where their food comes from and how to cultivate plants. All supplies used in the session are provided by Bluewater’s team.
James Waugh, Centre Director at Bluewater, commented: “Community has been at the heart of everything we’ve done here at Bluewater for the past 25 years. We’re proud to be able to create inclusive spaces that not only make a positive contribution to the communities they serve, but also build value and enhance the quality of life for those using them.
“We hope that The Regeneration Project and our Allotment Gardening Club will grow from strength to strength over time and engage even more groups within our community.”
Headteacher at Knockall Primary School, Kathryn Yiannadji, said: “This project has enabled the local community to work together to provide an amazing resource for the children at Knockhall Primary School. Having practical experiences such as planting and sowing will enable our children to understand where our food comes from. They have also been part of the development of the spaces from designing to implementation. It has been so exciting, and I thank all our volunteers and funders on behalf of the children for all of their support in making this happen.”
What’s more, Bluewater has also become home to the Happy to Chat Bench, which invites guests to take a seat and chat with others around them. The bench is located outside The Village.
The news of Bluewater’s community initiatives follows a report commissioned by the centre’s owner, Landsec, which suggests that improving nature and biodiversity needs to be at the heart of UK city planning in order for cities to remain desirable places for people to live and work. Out of 1,200 people surveyed across some of the UK’s major cities, 34% stated access to more nature and green space as their top reasons for wanting to relocate.
In response, Landsec has implemented a nature strategy that aims to deliver a range of nature-led benefits across its urban principles including improving diversity, promoting health, wellbeing and community engagement and creating nature-based solutions.
For more information, please visit https://bluewater.co.uk/
