Belfast alleyway given new lease of life after residents' transformation project

• By Louise Small

A previously overgrown alleyway in north Belfast has been transformed into a colourful haven for nature.

Eden Alley, which runs between Marsden Gardens and Hopefield Avenue, just off Cavehill Road, was neglected for years before residents decided it was time to give it a new lease of life.

Lifelong friends and neighbours Martina O’Toole and Seana Seaward, have spent just over a year growing, nurturing and pruning plants for the alleyway.

The pair spent time online finding websites donating seeds, compost and furniture to help create and develop the aesthetically pleasing avenue of colour; which in turn has provided a new natural habitat for insects and bees in an urbanised area.

“We were coming to the end of lockdown and we were constantly fed up and stuck in the house.

"We came out tidying up our backs and came into the alley and thought we can do something with this. It had been overgrown for so many years, so we thought we would use the free time we had to make a start on it and it went from there,” Martina O’ Toole project coordinator said.

The project, which started as a small-scale hobby between two friends, now has up to 30 volunteers. The alleyway is now used on a daily basis for catch ups, conversations on wellbeing, climate change and the environment.

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