Nursery Garden Revamp at John Pounds Centre

This summer, the teams at MAKE Art and Community revamped the Top Tots Nursery garden at the John Pounds Centre, creating a more inviting space for children to learn and grow. With garden time a key part of their routine, the little ones can now enjoy biking, planting, and exploring nature.

Top Tots requested a redesign to enhance learning, and our community group jumped right in. Emma Lennox led the team to clear overgrown areas while our Art group brought the wooden features to life with a fresh coat of paint. A local men's group, Men Shed, has also worked closely with us to create a new, more effective mud kitchen, which the nursery is ecstatic about and can't wait to use.

Suzie Forsyth, Area Manager of Top Tots Nursery, said, "The team has made amazing improvements and worked hard! We look forward to the final project and appreciate all your support!"

Thanks to strong teamwork and the community pulling together, the garden is becoming a vibrant environment for children to thrive. When asked how it felt to participate, Mark, who MAKE supports, said, "It's good fun working as a team. It makes me happy and feel good."

Special thanks to Film Crew 4u for documenting our journey. The Portsmouth-based video production company has been raising awareness of community-based projects. We're really grateful for their support.

Follow us on Instagram (@makealdingbourne) and Facebook (MAKE at Aldingbourne Enterprise) to see more of our journey and the garden's transformation. 

Written by Alice Mitas & Lizzie Senn. For any media inquiries, please get in touch with [email protected]​