New community hub to finally open in Scarborough’s South Cliff Gardens

The gardens have been undergoing a major renovation following a grant of £4,665,700 being provided by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and The National Lottery Community Fund.

As part of the renovation, a new community building has been built.

Named after the Lord George Beeforth, who created the rose garden in South Cliff, the Hive will have the dual function of providing a base for South Cliff Garden’s dedicated gardening team and offering a unique community space for workshops, events and activities to run from.

It will also be available for hire by local community groups.

In celebration of its completion there will be an opening event on Saturday February 4.

Members of the public are invited to a drop in session between 10am -1pm where they can view the new building.

They will also have the opportunity to meet two local artists who have been working alongside the Community Engagement Officer to capture people’s feelings about the gardens.

Poet Charlotte Oliver has been collecting people’s memories of the gardens on specially commissioned postcards designed by local illustrator Amy Kendell for a project named ‘Dear South Cliff Gardens’.

The completed postcards will be displayed in the new community hub in celebration of the regeneration of the gardens and Charlotte will perform a new poem inspired by the postcard responses at 11am.

Visitors are also invited to add to the display on the day.

The event will also feature the premier of a new piece of music from composer Sarah Dew which was created in collaboration with members of Scarborough’s Young Carers group following a “Wild Walk” through the gardens.

Sarah Dew says: “It was a privilege to spend a couple of hours walking, talking and recording the voices of the Young Carers while we all walked the most wild paths of South Cliff Gardens together, with writer Charlotte Oliver.

“The Young Carers and their families spoke so sensitively and creatively about their observations and sensory impressions within the gardens, giving Charlotte a wealth of material with which to create the poem that accompanies my music.

“This then helped to shape the audio along with Sarah’s melody, field recordings and sound art.”