The idea
We want to see SAW’s current green space transformed into a flourishing community garden. Building additional raised beds, furniture and a cooking area will allow us to develop all-age community growing skills through outdoor teaching and learning together. It will be an activist garden, not only to learn skills, grow food and create new friendships, but to explore issues such as climate change, sharing of resources, community solidarity and to learn how local growing can begin to combat climate change.
Local community members are keen to develop the garden, but SAW lacks the funds to realise the full potential of the space. In March 2019, a small pilot fund realised Shieldfield Wheatfield - we successfully grew wheat in SAW’s garden, baking it into a ‘Shieldfield community loaf’. We will build on this existing community knowledge and enthusiasm to continue a community-led approach to the developing garden long term, but we need your financial help to buy tools, plants and equipment.
What we'll deliver
- Deliver regular hands on gardening and food growing workshops for community members
- Deliver workshops which teach woodworking and building skills, resulting in outdoor furniture and raised beds
- Build additional raised beds for growing vegetables
- Buy tools and PPE for community use, and provide training in how to use them.
- Buy soil, seeds, bulbs and fruit bushes.
- Build outdoor seating and tables for enjoying our home grown food together
- Buy outdoor cooking equipment for post-Covid community feasts
- Make maintaining the garden eco friendly by buying rainwater butts and a compost bin
Why it's a great idea
GROWING: We'll not only grow food, but friendships and community by learning, growing and cooking together. The garden design and activity will be responsive to the local community’s needs and skills.
LEARNING: Local people will learn new planting, woodworking and cooking skills. These new skills will help build furniture and cook community meals. We’ll also learn about how local growing can help combat climate change.
GREENING: by developing the garden, we’ll provide an accessible outdoor space and activities in an area where many people live in flats, or don’t have access to a private garden. The garden will be open to everyone to enjoy.
COOKING: We’ll feast on our home grown produce, share cooking skills, discuss climate change and local issues in our outdoor cooking and dining space.
Steps to get it done
- Buy materials, tools and PPE
- Build planters
- Buy seeds and plants
- Sow seeds in planters
- Build furniture
- Harvest food
- Cook food outdoors using cooking equipment
- Feast together on our home grown food at a community meal, using our seating area
We’re currently talking to community members and researching how to make the garden improvement design accessible to all. The flat plot and access from SAW’s building should make the garden accessible with minor adjustments.
