Eight community growing initiatives across Scotland will receive funds to foster community engagement in growing and learning about food, and to promote healthy eating and outdoor exercise.
The CSGN ‘Growing Food Together’ Fund 2023/24 has provided the awards through a £100,000 fund provided by the Scottish Government.
The latest round of awards through the fund marks the third time that projects from across Scotland have been invited to apply. Following a stream of applications, the list of successful projects includes growing spaces from Aberdeenshire, Inverclyde and beyond.
The fund has a wide range of objectives, such as reducing the carbon footprint of the foods we consume, extending the growing season with polytunnels and cold-frames, improving access to growing sites and running training events at community growing spaces – many of which are located in some of Scotland’s most disadvantaged areas.
The eight community groups to receive funding for their growing projects this year are:
Beannachar, Aberdeenshire
- Upskill and increase students, staff, and volunteers’ capacity in growing through the increase of productive growing space, purchase of extra gardening equipment, and repairing existing greenhouse and polytunnel.
BRAG Enterprises, Fife
- Run upskilling workshops for volunteers and community members to work on converting redundant ground onsite to create a community growing space to provide fresh and affordable produce for their community pantry, foodbank and for personal use.
Deveron Projects, Aberdeenshire
- Improve physical access and signages to growing space, design and install a creative shelter, and provide gardening training for volunteers, which will enable local children’s groups, sheltered housing residents and other members of the community to use the space comfortably on a regular basis.
Glasgow City Council and The Orchard, Glasgow
- Enable community consultation, site design and implementation of a new community growing hub which includes allotments and a shared community orchard/forest garden area.
Independence from Drugs and Alcohol Scotland, Ayrshire
- Develop a new community growing space including fruit and vegetable growing areas to grow produce for use in community cafe, deliver three growing and cooking training workshops and provide drop-in support from an on-site therapeutic gardener, and work with other local community organisations.
North Glasgow Community Food Initiative, Glasgow
- Deliver weekly community food growing sessions in three community growing spaces, organise a Harvest event in Autumn, and educational workshops for all in the community.
RIG Arts, Inverclyde
- Deliver training and educational sessions and packs for the community to encourage food growing at home, as well as establish a Seed Library with Greenock SouthWest Library to reduce food miles and strengthen food resilience.
Saheliya, Glasgow
- Support community by building on existing and developing new growing skills through accessible food growing training sessions and install sustainable irrigation systems.
Joe FitzPatrick, Minister for Local Government Empowerment and Planning, said:
“I am delighted that, through our continued support of the Growing Food Together Fund, we are able to support eight more exciting projects which will allow local communities of all shapes and sizes to work together, to regenerate their local areas and grow their own fruit and vegetables.
“Since expanding eligibility two years ago to welcome applications from across the country, I am glad to see the fund continue to support a range of amazing projects from all over Scotland. I would like to give my thanks to all of the community groups who are working together to grow fresh and seasonal food, helping people to experience the simple pleasure that can be found by growing, harvesting and cooking your own produce.”
The Green Action Trust, a leading charity in environmental regeneration, is managing the fund as part of its work to drive the delivery of the CSGN.
