Strengthening communities and improving the local environment
Getting outdoors, socialising, learning new skills and connecting with the earth and the natural world can have a really positive effect on our mental and physical health and the way we interact with each other. It changes how we see the world around us too.
Being part of our community garden project allows residents to work together to benefit everyone as well as spreading their influence throughout the wider neighbourhood and the local environment. We know this is particularly important in urban areas, as gardens provide residents with much-needed access to green space and an opportunity to grow and harvest fresh fruit and vegetables, get outdoors, meet neighbours, and get to know local plants and wildlife.
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Community Garden Network -What we do
We tailor our support to the needs of each community group and space, with the aim to make sustainable, self-managed gardens. You’ll build on existing skills in your community and work together to develop flourishing community spaces. We have a modest budget to support physical improvements to the gardens - for example new beds, a shed, investments in plants or tools - but we also support the up-skilling of groups and individuals through training or networking events.
Need help?
We are already working with some fantastic projects and engage with groups we'll be working with in years to come. We have found that extra support from the housing associations, tenant management organisations and others has helped our work take root, making it more sustainable.
Please contact us if you know a group who could benefit from this support from next year's growing season or beyond.
Impact of our Community Garden Project
Around 70 residents are regularly volunteering at 10 community gardens in Hackney, East London. In 2021-22 we provided over 30 training sessions for these volunteers, helping them gain new skills, and network with other local groups and organisations.
75% of volunteers reported feeling more experienced about gardening or food growing, in their follow up surveys, compared to their baseline survey
With our support, the gardens have run a series of fun and engaging events for their local communities. These included a wild herb walk in a local park, Christmas wreath making sessions, and seed planting activities for families to take home.
“Without gardening I wouldn’t be happy as I am today. The garden is looking so much more organised and loved. That’s amazing.”