The Oasis Gardens are a big part of our work within the community. We have thousands of people each year from the young, to the elderly who come and enjoy our beautiful 2 acres of Gardens. This surprising hidden gem in the heart of the Kilton estate has been aptly named and is one of the few usable green spaces in the whole area.
There are spaces to play, spaces to grow, spaces to learn and spaces to simply enjoy.
All who enter through the Oasis gates are surprised to find such an amazing space tucked away in an otherwise quite built up area. We grow, plant and maintain many kinds of flowers, vegetables, cacti, hedges and trees across our site so there is almost always something new to see.
The Oasis Garden has become an ever changing canvas of colour, life and fun.
Humble Beginnings
To look around at the Oasis Gardens it is hard to imagine that it was ever any different to the beautiful thriving garden it is now.
But... it wasn't always this way!
Just 10 years ago when The Oasis Community Centre first moved into the building the gardens were nothing more than overgrown wilderness and a simple overgrown grass field on the front and an overgrown wilderness on the back.
This can be seen in the pictures to the left.
With a seemingly impossible vision of what the site could look like, some fresh redesigns, a few dedicated volunteers, a little love and a whole lot of hard work the site has developed piece by piece into the award winning stunning garden space it is now. Thank you to all those who have given their support over these ten years digging, planting, cultivating, cutting, trimming, building and maintaining the Oasis Gardens
Supporting the Community
The Oasis Gardens have had a very positive effect on the Community of Kilton and outlying areas of Worksop. Even just as short as 10 years ago Kilton had almost no where for children to play locally. This would often mean that Children either stayed at home or would have to find their own fun which sometimes lead to isolation or even vandalism.
Part of the Oasis Centres remit was to provide a warm welcoming place for Children and young people to come to that is exciting and has plenty to see and equipment to play on. We have a slide, a bucket swing, a balance assault course, a spinner, Play houses, things to climb and places to hide.
Since 2020 we have had a new exciting pirate ship play area installed which has added another slide, Wobble spring bouncers, a Seesaw, a balance bridge, Sand pit and rigging to climb.
Giving a place for Children to play is only a part of the ideas behind the Oasis Gardens though. At the start it was decided that the Oasis Gardens should be a place for fun and excitement, relaxation and tranquility and for learning and education.
As such we have worked hard to cater for all ages, abilities and types of people across the board.
We have aimed to create a warm, welcoming and inviting space for all, from the youngest to the oldest person who enters our gates.
Our Mission Statement is to be 'A Heart for the Community, in the Heart of the Community' and we have found that the Garden itself and Garden projects have had a really positive effect on the local area and its residents.
Many people are now being referred to us for help with their mental health, physical health, for community service or simply due to loneliness, anxiety or depression. People can come and engage with our gardening projects and other projects where they can find what they need without the need for medical intervention, drugs or other prescriptions.
All of our Garden projects come under the banner of 'Lifeline Projects' and there is lots to be a part of and get involved in. To see more information about these projects please click here!
Wildlife
When The Oasis first arrived there wasn't much in the way of wildlife. The Grass field that originally adorned the space provided very little opportunity for wildlife to live and survive. But as the years have passed and the Garden has developed so too has the wildlife increased. With additions of trees, bushes, shrubs, beds, bug hotels, bird boxes, plants etc. we have encouraged all kinds of wildlife to come and live in the Oasis Gardens and many of them are now thriving.
We have seen an increase in bugs and insects, birds and small animals across the site. We have been amazed at how the new wildlife has founds its way to our garden even though it is surrounded by built up area.
As we continue to add new types of shrubs, plants, trees and habitats we are hoping it will encourage more wildlife to live in our gardens.
It's been lovely to see hedgehogs appearing on site each year and a large array of different types of bugs, butterflies and birds. Now we are seeing plenty of bees each year helping to pollinate the flowers and by creating a wormery with lots of wriggly worms we are helping to refresh and add nutrients to the soil.
We also have our own egg laying chickens! The Eggs are collected and sold to some of the locals.