Thanks to part of a grant from Southampton City Council from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund a community group led by Friends of Riverside Park created a Bug Hotel at the rear of Bitterne Park Social Club. The grant provided 5 self-assembly metal gabion’s which were filled with seed heads, straw, fir cones, brushwood and hollow bamboo tubes forming places for mini-beasts to overwinter. Log piles were added at both ends and fragrant planting to encourage nectar feeding insects will take place soon. A tile roof, well secured, is to keep off the worst of the winter rain.

A big thank you to all who provided materials to fill the gabion’s and especially families who helped on the day.