'The children are going to be devastated' - Flowers planted by young people ripped out of planters in Grimsby
£1,000 worth of plants that were planted along the River Freshney by young people in the community have been ripped out of their baskets in an overnight trail of destruction.
The team at renewables hub Projekt Renewable arrived at their place of work next to the Fishing Heritage Centre on Alexandra Dock this morning (Tuesday, September 17) to find that the plants from all 80 containers had been pulled out.
Each container - which was personalised with the name of the child who planted it - was left empty, with soil scattered across the ground.
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More than 100 young people were involved in the 'Plant & Paddle' initiative, which was facilitated by Projekt Renewable and Target NEL and sponsored by The Crown Estate.
Projekt Director Richard Askam said: “I am simply lost for words, the children are going to be devastated when they hear about what has happened. This act may have destroyed the planters themselves, but it will not have tarnished the memory the children have of creating them or the skills they learnt on the day.
“People may well be quick to say ‘Well, what did you expect’, but if no-one tried, nothing will change. We will keep replanting, and keep working to make our pocket of Grimsby something special for the very people who created these planters in the first place.”
North East Lincolnshire Council’s Safer Towns and Communities team are reviewing CCTV and looking at what measures can be taken to improve security in that area. Humberside Police has also been informed.
Richard added: “We are doing something really special here at Projekt. Young people, particularly, are learning about renewables and just how they can be inspired to get involved and have good future careers in our town.
“When people visit, we want them to experience a nice environment, and so decided to involve the community in planting the flowers – it looked lovely and lots of people have commented on how much they’ve brightened up the area.”
Local people and communities, as well as commercial gardeners and garden or DIY centres are asked to donate whatever they can to ensure the boxes are filled again.
If anyone can support Projekt Renewable and get these planters blooming again, you can contact Richard by email on richard@projektrenewable.com.