The Arcadia Park Project – Launch Weekend 6th & 7th April

By theorkneynews on March 28, 2019 • ( 5 Comments )

By Bernie Bell

I read an item in ‘The Orcadian’, about the Arcadia Park Project, and contacted the organizers, to make a donation, as I believe that access to an out-door area, given over to nature and wildlife, can be very beneficial for those dealing with illness, either directly or indirectly.

Also, people living in Kirkwall, in particular those who have needed to move into town from the countryside, as their needs dictate, are often looking for any bits of ‘nature’ that they can find. There’s the Blide Trust garden, https://theorkneynews.scot/2018/06/29/orkneys-secret-creative-garden/ , the Clan garden, Tankerness House garden, https://theorkneynews.scot/2018/07/07/tankerness-house-garden/ various nooks and crannies around town, and, of course the walk around and sit by, the Peedie sea, can be a welcome break from being in town.

The idea of the Arcadia Park Project, is to landscape an area near to the new hospital, and, produce somewhere which will be, as Manager of OACAS Catherine Tulloch says,

“A sanctuary for those in hospital, their visitors, and perhaps some of our clients who may need a quiet space for reflection. On a practical note, by providing some training, we hope to give folks skills they can use elsewhere. “

The project needs support, either financially, or from folk who can go along and help, physically, with the job of planting all those trees and flowers. There will be a ‘launch’ style event on the weekend of 6&7 April 2019, and people are invited to go along between 10am – 4pm on both days, to help with planting, find out more about the project, or, just have a cuppa and a blether.

If you would like to donate, the address is OACAS 6 Bridge Street Wynd, Kirkwall , Orkney KW15 1JD – and you can either post, or hand in your donation, in person.

The organizers will also be purchasing daffodils and making a Marie Curie patch, so if you’d like them to use your donation to plant any daffs for you, please let them know.

This looks all set to be another little haven in Kirkwall, for humans, and for wildlife, too.