Community Growing

The support we offer:

Help to start your own Community Garden

If you would like to start a community garden project, or you want help to develop an existing project, then we’re here to offer support.

We can provide:

• Free site visits and advice for your project, whatever stage it’s at
• Relevant contacts and help with supply of materials
• Lending of gardening tools from our Community Growing Tool Library
• Support with gardening-related activities and/or workshops
• Referrals to training courses to boost you and your members’ gardening know-how
• Access to various partnership organisations that help your organisation to have its say in matters relating to community growing in Aberdeen City
• Support you to recruit volunteers
• Advice on gathering data relevant to funding reports and project development, such as financial savings from produce grown, CO2 savings from reduced food miles, and indicators of mental health and wellbeing for volunteers and community members
• Mailing list keeping you up to date with plant and seed sharing opportunities, available funding, networking events with other community gardens, etc
• Connect you with the Aberdeen City Food Growing Map, helping you add your project and keep your details up to date

Training Courses

We and our partner organisations provide training opportunities for individuals and groups that are looking to develop green skills. All groups are free to attend, and for adults unless otherwise stated, no previous gardening experience is needed. These include:

• Grow Food Indoors in collaboration with One Seed Forward
• Growing for Wellbeing in collaboration with Mind Store
• CFINE Future Growers Peep Learning Together Programme - a group for parents and carers with young children aged 2–4
• Other courses may be available in the future, to find the most up to date information please contact us or watch our social media

Volunteering

Want to develop new skills, while getting to know others within your local community? Volunteering at a community growing project might be the perfect place to start. Volunteering at a community growing project offers a friendly environment to learn new skills, participate in community activities and events, and skill share.

The benefits of volunteering at community growing projects can include:

• Improved access to food and better nutrition
• Increased physical activity
• Socialising with like-minded people
• Improved mental health

See our Aberdeen City food growing map (below) to find projects near you:

If you need additional support to find a suitable project or a suitable volunteering role - we are here to help.