Fourteen Projects Awarded ‘Growing Food Together’ Funds

They also include a wide range of objectives, such as increasing food security for local communities, extending the growing season with polytunnels and raised beds, and sharing knowledge on nature friendly farming practices through training and capacity building workshops – many of which are located in some of Scotland’s most disadvantaged areas.

Jim Fairlie, Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity, said:

“Gardening is an excellent activity that improves both physical and mental wellbeing and we want more people across Scotland to discover these benefits.

The Growing Food Together Fund is achieving this by supporting community growing projects that are bringing people together to share in the rewarding experience of growing food.

I’d like to congratulate everyone involved in these crucial projects for all their hard work and wish them the best for their future gardening endeavours.”

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.

Tom Campbell, Chief Executive at the Green Action Trust, commented: “We are delighted to be playing a role in delivering this important fund—supporting communities to develop their outdoor growing spaces. These projects are fantastic, as they enable people to come together, learn from each other, build more resilient communities, and enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits of growing their own fresh food.”

The map below shows the locations of all fourteen projects across Scotland (click to view full size).

Details of all the projects receiving funding are listed below:

Group	Project Name	Region	Outline
Friends of Ashton	Let’s jam together	Glasgow	This school based project will improve access to nature and provide community opportunities in an area of multiple disadvantages. In addition to the purchase of fruit trees and herbs, the training courses delivered as part of this grant will particularly benefit young people with disabilities.
Letham Climate Challenge	Caring for People and Planet	Perth	Create a community growing area with a polytunnel, raised beds, hot bin composting and rainwater harvesting. This will allow more vegetables to be grown and provide new growers with experience without them taking on the commitment of an individual plot.
Milan Senior Welfare Organisation	Milan Senior Welfare Organisation	Edinburgh	Support the growing of vegetables which will be used for cooking in a daycare lunch club which focuses on older members of the community. Funds will also be used to improve site access and deliver regular outdoor exercise sessions in the growing space. This will have a positive impact on the users’ physical health and mental wellbeing.
Getting Better Together Ltd	Better Together	North Lanarkshire	This project will use the funds to install a greenhouse, improve site access for people with mobility issues, buy gardening tools and provide community growing training sessions.
YoMo (Young Movers Glasgow)	The Base GROW Project	Glasgow	Prepare a site for planting including re-soiling of raised beds and an installation of an irrigation system. Harvest and distribute produce amongst community members – focusing on supporting low-income families. Also establish a community tool store and undertake community events and workshops.
Greater Pollok Services	Planting Healthy Habits	Glasgow	This project aims to grow food and give the produce away to residents to encourage healthy eating. It will install more physical infrastructure such as planters and poly tunnels and develop a workshop space in which to run community growing activities. Funding will be used to purchase seeds, wood, fertiliser, compost and soil to build portable planters that can go in residents’ gardens as part of a ‘planting healthy habits’ project.
Broadford & Strath Community Company	Growers Hub Community Development	Highland	Based in an isolated community, the funding will be used to improve growing infrastructure including access works and the purchase and installation of a polytunnel. A training and education element of the project will improve local engagement and growing skills.
Braehead, Broomridge & District Community Development Trust	Braehead Community Garden	Stirling	Improve food growing infrastructure by soil testing and replacing raised beds for growing vegetables. This will provide an opportunity for volunteers to be trained in using power tools, as well as ensuring the growing space is optimal for the summer growing season.
South Kintyre Development Trust	Kintyre Grows	Argyll & Bute	Install a new climate-resilient polycrub to create a new plant nursery and extend growing space for volunteers and people who do not have their own gardens. This will increase the growing garden’s productivity and ensure that crops are well protected in the event of harsh weather, as well as extending growing season.
Isle of Luing Community Trust	Taste of Luing	Argyll & Bute	Transform a section of derelict land into a productive community garden with suitable growing infrastructure, such as proper drainage systems, raised beds, and polytunnels. The garden will increase local food security, community engagement, and reduce the carbon footprint of produce through sustainable gardening practices.
Street Connect	Govan Garden Hub	Glasgow	Build a Garden Hub with raised beds for easy-to-manage crops and provide regular workshops for participants to gain hands-on experience on food growing, working with local communities and people struggling with drug/alcohol addiction. These hands-on workshops will foster a sense of accomplishment and responsibility; improving self-esteem and mental wellbeing.
Circle – Family Service Unit Scotland	Circle Community Food Project	Edinburgh	Support and empower families and children from marginalised backgrounds through providing growing spaces to grow their own food. Funding will go towards creating community allotment spaces for those without a garden and workshops for participants to learn about healthy eating and sustainable growing practices.
Cummings Park Community Association	Cummings Park Community Garden	Aberdeen	Increase community growing spaces for local nursery, primary school, and wider members of the local community through installing growing infrastructure, such as raised beds and polytunnels. The growing space will also serve as an outdoor learning area for local people to learn about healthy eating, exercise, and local wildlife. Food grown will also contribute to the Fareshare produce for the local community to access.
Strathfillan Community Development Trust	A Place to Grow – Crianlarich Community Garden	Stirling	Refurbish and improve community garden to double the existing growing spaces for local community, through installing raised beds, a hot composter, and an umbrella shade. Funds will also help run educational workshops on growing and cooking healthy foods to establish a healthy and vibrant local food culture.