GATIS COMMUNITY SPACE Maria Billington
As a training herbalist I dreamt that I had a small patch of land in Whitmore Reans to grow herbs and teach people how to use them. Through a combination of friends working in the Playservice, council cuts and Eden Project’s Big Lunch Extras Programme that dream has been turned into an incredible reality. I am now one of five directors of Acts of Random Caring CIC which run the community hub, Gatis Community Space. We are working towards a community asset transfer with the council. Amy Charles is currently our volunteer manager and between us we lead the vision. Both of us are passionate about making positive change locally to support sustainability strategies, empower women and create an inclusive environment for all. Our ethos is people supporting people using the principles of the five ways to wellbeing: connect, be active, take notice, keep learning and give. Our lovely site in the heart of Whitmore Reans includes a large building, playground area, water and sand play area, community garden development, outdoor campfire/ cooking area and separate gated woodland/bushcraft area. Our
volunteering team are developing the site to improve the facilities to accommodate all the activities we have planned. Our current activities include volunteering opportunities, community café, real junk food project, arts and crafts sessions, nature crafts, conservation sessions, bushcraft sessions, community film club, film making, toddler sessions, clothes swaps, family play days, games nights, a book exchange and disability support sessions. We have space to hire and can hold large scale community events. One of our biggest events was our Interactive Lantern Arts Trail supported by an Open Access Award from Creative Black Country. Around 100 people paraded around Whitmore Reans on a cold October evening being told a story of darkness and light. We hope to make this an annual event with exciting plans already in the pipeline for this years event. I'm also supporting Ann Walker's Camera Obscura Project by organising Wild Plant Walks at the Boundary Way Allotment. To find out more about what Gatis Community Space gets up to please follow us on facebook.