I first visited the Droitwich Wellbeing Hub on the Westlands Estate in July 2024. I stood in the kitchen with the Hub’s co-founder, Pip, holding a cup of coffee, looking out of the window at what can only be described as a jungle. The garden was dominated by four enormous beech trees. Beneath them lay layers upon layers of beech leaves, brambles stretching in every direction, and very little sign of usable space.

Pip turned to me and asked, “Is there anything we can do with this area to make a garden people can come and use?” My first response was immediate: “Absolutely. We can make it amazing for people and wildlife.” After all, I work on the Wilder Worcestershire: Neighbourhoods Nurturing Nature project - creating habitats is what we do. But my second thought quickly followed: what do people actually want from this space? What is its purpose? Thankfully, Pip and her colleague Lesley had already been thinking about that.

In late summer 2024, we gathered enough volunteers and began uncovering what lay beneath the leaves. We built deadwood piles for hedgehogs and minibeasts, carefully balancing access for people with habitats for wildlife. Eventually, a small grant enabled the installation of decking for seating areas and an important survey on four beech trees. That resulted in some branch removal and trimming back to prevent limbs falling in bad weather, also allowing more light in the garden to help wildflowers to thrive. 

With students from Droitwich Spa High School, we painted a dark brick wall white to reflect more light. The wood from tree works became a stumpery - an upright wood habitat planted with ferns and bulbs. We moved what felt like endless beech leaves. The compost bin grew considerably. Fifteen months after that first coffee, the tortoise was still moving.