Campaign extended7 months ago
To run our Growing Together project for a year. The project provides conservation volunteering and training for diverse adults. Volunteers maintain our community garden for wildlife and the public.
Growing Together delivers outdoor conservation volunteering for diverse adults and older people in our stunning community garden and designated Local Wildlife Site. We will deliver 6 outdoor volunteering sessions a week in our beautiful community garden or plant nursery. Volunteers will participate in a wide range of conservation or horticultural tasks to maintain the Garden for wildlife and the 3000 people who use it each year. Over the next year, volunteers will improve a wildflower meadow for pollinators whose populations are in decline and enhance our Forest Garden. The project is inclusive and diverse people of all abilities participate. Those who require additional support take part in adapted tasks supported by our experienced staff. The ward is which the Garden is based is ranked in the highest 10% for multiple deprivation in England and has child poverty levels at more than double the national average.
What we'll deliver:
Why it's a great idea:
Montoring shows that the projcet has multiple benefits for volunteers and the Garden itself including 1. Improved wellbeing 2. More active life styles 3. Greater connection to nature 4. Improved social connections 5. Greater knowledge of gardening/conservation 6 Greater self confidence in learning. 7. Habitats are better maintained by volunteers 8. A wildflower meadow will be replanted benefitting pollinators 10. Our Forest Garden will be improved and more productive for wildlife and people.
Steps to get it done:
This is a long running project with a tried and tested successful model with robust monitoring, evaluation and learning processes developed. We work in partership with a wide range of other organisations who support people to participate in the projcet including West End Refugee Service and Learning for Life (who support young adults with leaning disabilities who volunteer as part of this project)
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Brilliant news, thanks everyone!
Whoop, 120 people have pledged since fundraising began!
How will the money be spent?Target (inc. fees) £31,146
Costs Breakdown
This shows how money raised for the project will be spent. These costs have been confirmed by the project's Delivery Manager and verified.
Overfunding
This project is enabled for overfunding. If the project hits its funding goal before the end of the campaign period, any extra funds raised will be spent (in order of priority) on:
Target (inc. fees) £31,146
Our Volunteer List
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Volunteer" 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,
Project Owner: Scotswood Garden The Project Owner takes legal responsibility for receiving and spending the funds raised and ensuring the project is delivered.
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