Her Ground – Creating Safe Spaces in Lyngford Park
An exciting project in and around Lyngford Park in Taunton with Somerset Art Works and artist Lucy Oates. Encouraging women and girls to make even greater use of their local park and to feel safe doing so.
At Somerset Art Works we have developed an understanding of how the arts can benefit a wide range of community needs, facilitating and promoting the value of creativity for all: for enjoyment, learning, skills development, community cohesion, place making, and a personal sense of health and wellbeing.
We have worked in North Taunton since 2013 and together have considered the issues affecting Lyngford Park, Taunton for several years. We have always wanted to do more to encourage women and girls to make even greater use of Lyngford Park and to feel safe doing so.
Phase 1: 2024
Through the summer of 2024, artist Lucy Oates had lots of conversations in North Taunton – with
girls, women and anyone who identifies as female – to hear their thoughts and to learn more about
what they want from their local park.
Through a series of Creative Workshops across North Taunton and a Community Consultation Survey, we gathered thoughts and designed community ideas into models and artworks to represent ideas of how the park could become a safer and more welcoming space for all.
What We Did in 2024
Click on the image below to view our evaluation
Click here to read the full 2024 project report
Phase 2: 2025 – 2026
Thanks to new funding from Nature Hubs in partnership with Hubbub and Starbucks, and also from the Taunton Town Council Ward Members Initiative Scheme, we’re excited to continue our work with Lucy Oates to develop community ideas into reality – making the park a more welcoming and inclusive space. Our plans include:
> Creating a nature-friendly, safe meeting space near the early years Nursery and Library.
> Adding seating, wildflower planters and bug hotels to support community and wildlife.
> Sharing engaging, family-friendly activity resources through interactive nature learning signage.
> Encouraging young women, girls, and new parents to feel a sense of ownership and connection to the park.
> Exploring opportunities to enhance safety, ecological diversity and wellbeing through community-led improvements.
> Hosting creative pop-up family events and workshops to foster engagement and a sense of belonging.
Somerset Art Works is working collaboratively with artists Lucy Oates and Liz Gregory and our community partners: Katy Chick and Valerie Denslow from Somerset Library Services, Jordan Daines the Taunton Town Council Climate Officer and Patrick Price from Somerset Wildlife Trust. Together we are developing a range of exciting ideas to improve the wider Lyngford Park area for the community and for nature.
Pocket Park Creation Plans
Creating a pocket park in a redundant disabled parking bay outside the Library and Nursery entrance.
To transform this unloved space into a nature-friendly, outdoor reading area with a bench, planters, green space improvements, wildlife habitat improvements, space for growing and planting for a new gardening club in 2026, signs with positive messages, QR codes to nature resources for families and a colorful floor mural. Planning is underway with designs inspired by community workshops and ideas – for completion in 2026.
Summer Family Activities in Lyngford Park, 2025
Together with our friends at QLPS, we ran 3 x family workshop days as part of the annual Lyngford Park summer family activity days coordinated by Priorswood Community Centre.
Artist Liz Gregory led family workshops in:
– Driftwood Mobiles using natural materials
– Nature Stories and Painting alongside Priorswood Library
– Insects and Pollinators Sculpture Workshop using found and recycled materials
There will be further school and family workshops in the autumn term.
In 2026 we will be developing more benches, planters, positive message signs, family nature resources for installation in the main park area.
We really want to make a difference and enable people to take part in creating a better place at the heart of the community.
Photography: Kaylee Winchcombe, Jon Barrett
2025: With funding from The Nature Hubs, in partnership with Hubbub and Starbucks. With funding from the Taunton Town Council Ward Members Initiative Scheme.
2024: With funding from Taunton Town Council, Avon and Somerset Police Community Trust, Arts Council England. Supported by North Taunton One Team and Persephone Books. With thanks to the Quantock Landscape Partnership Scheme.
Her Ground 