" Volunteering at the Garden is the best thing I have ever done.. it gets me out of my flat and stops me staring at 4 walls. I have made loads of new friends, grown vegetables, made juice...it's like family" - Jim aged 68
Scotswood Garden is an award winning environmental community organisation and public garden based in Scotswood, Newcastle Upon Tyne . Our stunning Garden was set up in 1995 on the site of an old school playing field and boasts wildflower meadows, a woodland, ponds, orchards and fruit and vegetable gardens designed as Forest Gardens. The Garden is a designated Local Wildlife Site and home to a number of the UK's Biodiversity Action Plan protected species. We are a Learning and Demonstration site for the UK Permaculture Association and a centre of excellence for others to visit and learn from. The ward in which the Garden is based is ranked in the highest 10% for multiple deprivation in England.
We have a 26-year track record of using nature-based interventions to improve health and wellbeing, bring people together to boost social connections and equip people with new skills and knowledge, We work with 2000- 3000 people a year delivering a range of support, training and education services for people aged 1-100.
From the Garden we deliver
1. Inclusive volunteering and training for adults 3 days a week. Our volunteers work outside on ambitious conservation projects and maintain the garden. We are a One Awards registered training centre and deliver accredited National Open College Network units.
2. Older People's Services - we run accessible outdoor volunteering sessions 3 days a week, a weekly older women's gardening group, nature based craft and activity sessions, social activities, trips and social and therapeutic horticulture for people living with Dementia including outreach in care homes.
3. Education programme working with schools across the city. Environmental education workshops linked to the national curriculum, Forest Schools for mental health and accredited Forest School leadership training .
4. Play and youth work. We deliver 5 nature based youth groups a week from the Garden plus detached youth work in our local area. We also run Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, exciting holiday activities, camps and expeditions.
5. Outreach and Community work - 4 large community fun days at the Garden and partnership projects with Marie Curie Hospice and West End Refugee Service,
