CAN’s Wishing Penny-Well event brightens up Shopping Centre
More than one hundred and fifty local people popped into Muirhouse Shopping Centre to plant a flower and make a wish on Friday – and they had a bloomin’ brilliant time!
Building on the excitement generated by December’s Christmas Tree event, Community Action North’s Wishing Penny-Well was the latest initiative to encourage more people to use and enjoy the shopping centre.
Work went on all week for the event – large drainage pipes were delivered on Monday, moved into place, filled with soil and compost, prepared, painted and then stencilled with the quotes of local residents before Friday’s big launch – and there was even time to do some more stencilling to brighten up the centre’s bare brick walls. With so much to be done it was a close run thing – the last stencils were being peeled away as the event kicked off!
All that hard work was worthwhile, however. Local folk were encouraged to come along and plant some flowers at the lunchtime event, and come along they did – the centre was ablaze with colour in no time!
It being Valentine’s weekend, Craigroyston Community High School’s rock band came along to provide some appropriate love songs and, music being the food of love, there was also Love Hearts, Roses and some heart-shaped shortbread for sweet-toothed (and green-fingered) visitors too!
On wee girl said: “I loved planting my flower and I hope it will grow and grow. I chose a red one because red is my favourite colour. We don’t have a garden so this is a wee bit like having a garden that we can all share, because my friends are planting flowers as well.”
Community Action North’s Wishing Penny-Well event could not have happened without the support of organisations including North Edinburgh Arts, Tomorrow’s People and Urban Union – and a group of dedicated and talented individuals too many to mention. You know who you are – thank you all!
Many more pictures on CAN Community Action North Facebook page