A new willow shelter was installed in Birchfield Park, Yeovil, in March 2026. This shelter was created by Somerset weaver Sarhan Essadiq in collaboration with local residents to promote a sense of togetherness. The project was community-led and designed based on ideas gathered from the Community Panel, which includes residents and young people living in the area.
The shelter specifically supports local children, including those from Birchfield Primary School, providing a quiet area for reading and relaxing. It also serves as the starting point for the local tree trail, developed in partnership with the Friends of Sidney Gardens and Yeovil Town Council.
This initiative was funded by the Somerset Community Foundation and facilitated by Spark Somerset’s Community Organiser, Sarah Moore. It was supported by the Participatory Grant Panel of the Somerset Community Foundation and the Connect Somerset Champion, Natasha Rand, from Yeovil Art Space.
