Tara Murray
A community group needs community help to bring Horseshoe Bend Reserve back to its former glory.
The Horseshoe Bend Community Garden group has been shortlisted as a finalist for the volunteering innovation fund, which could earn the project $50,000.
Public votes will help decide which project the funds go to.
Horseshoe Bend Community Garden group’s Cynthia Frain said they had been applying for a number of grants to get the project up and running. Non-for-profit group 3000 Acres has helped with improving the area, which is looked after by Parks Victoria.
“We are really excited to be short-listed for a rather large grant,” Ms Frain said.
“We’ve been working hard on partnerships. We’re starting a community garden and transforming that into a community space.
“The community garden is a launching pad for what we can do with the area.”
Ms Frain said she and the group, like many others, had been disappointed in how Horseshoe Bend had been neglected in recent years.
She said the group was hoping to turn the area into something local people would be proud of and was hoping the community would get behind them and vote for the project.
“It used to be a beautiful space when it was a farm. While it will never be a farm again, there is a lot of potential to make it something good.
“We’ve started with working bees and planting a vegie garden. We want to add in a sensory garden and native garden. We’ll look at farmers markets and running workshops.
“We know how open space is beneficial for people who have been isolated.”
To vote for the project: ow.ly/iNyF50FAe8f
