Nurturing future storytellers

A community garden in County Durham has helped spring children’s imaginations into life, thanks to funding from believe housing.

This summer, Hall Street Allotment in Seaham was transformed into the Magical Story Garden, to host a four-week storytelling project.

Each week, local children’s authors led nature-inspired workshops for children and families, combining storytelling with outdoor learning. The sessions encouraged reading and creative writing while helping children explore and connect with the natural world.

More than 80 people took part in activities including story-themed gardening, bee education visits, arts and crafts, and foraging trails.

The Magical Story Garden was the brainchild of children’s author and illustrator Kylie Dixon MBE.

“My stories are all inspired by the allotments where I grew up, especially my dad’s plot here in Seaham” she said.

“I wanted to create a space where those stories could come to life, and where families could experience a bit of that magic in real life. I could see how powerful storytelling and nature can be for boosting children’s confidence and creativity. The opportunity to bring both together, here in my hometown, just felt like the right thing.

“Storytelling helps children to believe in themselves. It gives them a voice, a way to process their emotions and a chance to imagine something bigger. Creative writing isn’t just about putting words on a page, it’s about confidence, expression, and connection.”

A £1,000 community grant from believe housing helped cover the cost of supplies, including arts and crafts materials and marketing. It also funded lunches for everyone attending the sessions, helping families with food costs during the summer holidays.

Anne Marie Parkin, Community Investment Coordinator for believe housing, said: “Creative writing is an important skill for a child to learn as it can unlock doors in the future and help boost their confidence.”

“When Kylie contacted us about the Magical Story Garden, we were blown away by the idea.

We loved that it helped bring an underused community garden to life and get families closer to nature, while also teaching children important skills for their future.”