Frendsbury Garden is a community space and wildlife garden that improves community safety, cohesion and well-being. The land previously was a fly tipping site. We have held accredited horticultural training courses and informal workshops on gardening and recycling for local people to give them the knowledge and skills to manage and maintain their park. The project is also working closely with local partners, schools and voluntary organisations to provide employment and educational opportunities, for local people e.g. community payback scheme, Turnham school’s nature studies class held in garden. On Monday's we hold wellbeing sessions to improve the health and wellbeing of the more isolated members of the community. On Wednesday we hold therapeutic gardening sessions for those that have mild mental health issues and on the Friday we hold a free after school club to keep children age 8+ off the street and giving them the opportunity to learn more about nature, growing food and learning how to cook it and socialising with children they wouldn't normally interact with. We hold several sessions for under 5 year olds, bug hunting, pond dipping and story time and general volunteering sessions for those that love to garden and make the community more beautiful. Our sessions enabling inner city based children to have a greater understanding of the world around them and get them outdoors.
The garden is also one of the Capital Growth’s 2012 growing spaces which encourages the use of land for growing fruit and vegetables. As part of our work with local people we have arranged for healthy eating and cooking courses for residence to learn what to do with the produce they harvest.
Once we grow the food it is available to be harvested by the community provided they are considerate of others and only take enough for their personal use. Comment from Coston Walk resident 2 children: “It has been brilliant I have not had to add potatoes or tomatoes to my shopping list for a whole month which is saving me money”.
Frendsbury Garden's is open to the public for 7 days per week from dawn to dusk and so can be enjoyed by all members of the public whether a session is running or not.
