Grow, learn & cook: SAW community garden

The environment

Together with help from volunteers and professional gardeners, we’ve completely transformed the large grassed area to the rear of SAW’s building. By introducing soil banks filled with plants, wildflower seeds and fruit trees, we’ve not only created a calming and interesting space, but somewhere that will be attractive to pollinators which will increase wildlife in the local area. We’ve built cold frames so we can start growing food earlier in the season and protect them from frost. The additional planters that have been built will also be used to grow food and our hand-built compost bins will provide rich soil through the year. By growing food locally, we’ll help the environment by reducing food miles and have conversations about how we can tackle climate change locally.

Volunteering, jobs & education

Volunteers have been central to the design, build and ongoing delivery of the project. The process of building the garden brought people together with the shared aim of improving a green space. The space and gardening activity will continue to bring people together in years to come. During the build, volunteers brought their own horticultural knowledge and experience which was shared with the rest of the group. Professional gardeners also taught skills connected with composting, growing seedlings and planting hedgerow. Participants also learnt new woodworking skills by building planters and garden furniture. These gardening and learning opportunities continue through the weekly Shieldfield Grows gardening group.

Activity, health and leisure

The garden now provides an inviting space filled with plants, wildflowers, vegetables and fruit trees. In an area where many people don’t have access to a garden, SAW’s garden space is now more suited to providing a range of leisure and health activities centered around meeting together, growing food and eating together. Our new raised beds and cold frames for vegetable growing are a focus for weekly gardening activity, and the cold frames allow us to start growing earlier during the year. It is well established that gardening has a positive impact on both physical health and mental wellbeing, (through the positive impact of being outdoors, meeting people and establishing friendships), and this impact will continue for many years to come.