Lincoln ‘Green Museum’ could be up and running by summer

A £300,000 ‘Green Museum’ project which looks to bring more people into Lincoln’s open spaces could be up and running by this summer.

The initiative from City of Lincoln Council aims to deliver a programme of activities across the West and South Commons, the Cow Paddle, Hartsholme Country Park, the Arboretum, Boultham Park and Birchwood Nature Park.

It follows the recent success of the Boultham Park Restoration Project which strived to improve the facilities and water quality in the woodland’s historic lake.

It’s hoped this work can be broadened across all of the city’s green spaces under an initial three-year programme, led by a new Community Engagement officer and supported by a part-time support officer.

Council leader Councillor Richard Metcalfe (Labour) instantly praised the proposal, calling it a “great idea” as the remainder executive committee voted unanimously in its favour.

They also agreed to make a bid for £249,925 to the National Lottery Heritage Funding to help fund it.

A report put before councillors read: “The benefits of spending time in well-managed green spaces are well documented.

“Our public open spaces are free to use, available to all, places to de-stress and unwind, to play and exercise, to meet people, to walk the dog, to enjoy nature, to enjoy events, to learn more about and build appreciation of our natural environment, to volunteer, building skills, confidence and employability.

“For our heritage open spaces, the benefits are multiplied: heritage promotes personal and community well-being, it gives a sense of place and identity, it provides links to the past, a sense of perspective and a better understanding of today.

“As custodians of these important assets, we are in the unique position of being able to encourage people to use and enjoy these places, and in so doing, to build on our wider understanding of them, thus helping in our management and maintenance decision.

“This is an opportunity to curse our heritage before it is degraded or even lost, gathering memories and information into an inline publicly accessible archive.”

If the funding bid is successful, the council hopes it would only need to commit £15,000 to the project, with another £35,000 of costs being covered by “volunteer hours” or the grounds maintenance budget if needed.

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