The Flood Innovation Centre is offering charities, businesses and social enterprises with an interest in boosting their flood resilience and championing biodiversity the chance to attend a free workshop where they’ll learn how to create a rain garden.
Rain gardens and smaller scale rain planters are just two possible elements of what’s known as a sustainable drainage system. They mimic natural processes to filter, slow and store rainwater, as well as looking attractive and providing valuable habitats for birds, insects and other wildlife.
Those who attend the one-day workshop, which will be led by Wendy Allen, a garden and sustainable drainage consultant, and John Little of the Grass Roof Company, will learn how to plan, construct and install a small, do-it-yourself rain garden and rain planter. It’s aimed at representatives of charities, social enterprises and businesses who are interested in installing rain gardens on their premises, as well as businesses working in the construction, landscaping or gardening sectors that would like to be able to offer a rain garden installation service to their customers.
Sam Ramsden from the Flood Innovation Centre, said: “The workshop will offer an insight into rain garden and rain planters as creative and achievable sustainable drainage solutions that slow down the rate of surface water run-off, helping to reduce the risk of flooding.
“Wendy and John will also explain how to assess a siteand demonstrate proven and easy-to-replicate methods of making a small-scale rain garden and rain planters. They’ll also make suggestions about suitable plants and planting materials to withstand both flood and drought conditions, and look at what can be learnt from brownfield sites and wild landscapes when creating rain gardens in urban environments.”
The free, day-long workshop, which will take place at the Aura Innovation Centre at Bridgehead Park in Hessle, East Yorkshire on Tuesday 8 November, includes a networking lunch. This will be followed by a visit to two local community gardens, where Wendy and John will discuss practical examples of how the training can be implemented.
Anyone with an interest in attending is asked register their interest through the workshop event page. Someone from the Flood Innovation Centre team will then make contact with further information and instructions on how to register for support