Our First Community Workshops

Boothby Wildland, October 2023

We were delighted that nearly 50 people attended our Community Workshops in September. We really appreciate all the thoughts, ideas and energy on the future of Boothby Wildland – this is absolutely vital information to help our developing plans. Three workshops were held at different times, followed by an online version to maximise the opportunity for people to attend.

We’re absolutely buzzing with the ambitious ideas and positive feedback collated through the activities. We also really appreciate the opportunity to answer questions, debunk myths (we’re not covering fields in solar panels, for example..!) and respond to any concerns.

After a brief introductory presentation, a series of activities focused minds and helped gather feedback. The first gathered thoughts on Boothby Wildland’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

The second activity was rather more creative, in which everyone was magically transported to 2073. Smaller groups were tasked with writing the front cover of the Grantham Journal – all dedicated to Boothby Wildland. A fun way to look at what we want to be celebrating at Boothby in 50 years’ time! Some of the story ideas were really ambitious, from ‘Boothby centre of coast-to-coast wildlife corridor’ to ‘Community mental health up 500%’ and even ‘Michelin star for Boothby farm cafe’. We can but dream!

Bringing us back to the present day, large maps were then used for everyone to mark where they would like to see things such as additional footpaths and bridleways, benches and a community orchard.

We’re in the process of collating all the information gathered from across the workshops and we’ll be sharing it back out with all participants. If you’d like a copy, please do get in touch: boothby@nattergal.co.uk