Credit: Tania Han
Over 80 gardens across the UK, from Perth to Bournemouth are opening their gates, lining up their spades and getting the kettle on to welcome new growers to take a look.
Credit: Tania Han
The saying goes that ‘gardening adds years to your life and life to your years’ and on Saturday the 27th April you can drop in and meet people from your local community food garden.
The Big Dig Day is organised by Sustain the food and farming charity that set up the Big Dig Network, to help gardens get more people growing food. They also run the London based Capital Growth network, one of the largest urban growing networks in the world. The gardens taking place range from large gardens such as The Regent’s Park allotment garden in London, urban farms and market gardens, community projects and schools.
“We have been working with all sorts of community gardens for the last 10 years and see first-hand how they bring together people of across ages and walks of life, providing a real sense of calm and wellbeing” explained Sarah Williams, from Sustain who launched the Big Dig Day in 2012. Since then thousands of people have joined in at their local garden to grow healthy food together, building friendships along the way.
The day, also being used to encourage people to eat more veg as part of the Veg Cities campaign, will be filled with family friendly activities, including planting and seed sowing, garden tours, family games and craft activities with the opportunity to create new wildlife-friendly edible gardens and to learn about permaculture and how to make plant feeds. The day is for all fitness levels, and for people looking to get regularly involved or those who may just want somewhere to relax.
Find gardens on the www.bigdig.org.uk including:
Camilla who started growing food at The Castle Garden, in North London one of the regular Big Dig Gardens said “I find growing food an incredibly rewarding experience. Gardening in itself is a therapeutic activity, and gardening in a community environment, amongst other people with similar interests or views, is even better.”
There are thousands of community groups meeting to grow together every week, and whether you want to grow, sow or just sit to enjoy the peace, you can find your nearest garden in a few clicks.
Find a garden near you taking part in the Big Dig Day on our website. And if your local community garden has not signed up already, do let them know, all gardens are welcome to join #BigDig2019
For further information email sarah@sustainweb.org or call 0203 559 6777
UK Gardens
Townsend Community Garden |
Townsend Growers |
Bournemouth |
Slades Farm Community Garden |
Transition Bournemouth |
Bournemouth |
Prestwich Clough forest garden |
Incredible edible Prestwich and district |
Bury |
Edible Roundabout |
Cambridge Growing Spaces |
Cambridge |
Incredible Edible Wishing Well Garden (opp Conwy Castle) |
Incredible Edible Conwy |
Conwy |
Battlefield Community Garden |
Battlefield Community Project |
Glasgow City |
Maryhill dot to dot |
Maryhill Dot to Dot Community Garden |
Glasgow City |
Greenheart Growers |
Glasgow City |
|
Square Yard |
Finn’s Place |
Glasgow City |
Old Town Bloomers Community Garden |
Hazlehurst Studios |
Halton |
Otley Community Allotment |
Otley Community Land Trust |
Leeds |
Chapel Allerton Kitchen Garden |
Chapel Allerton in Bloom |
Leeds |
The Chalk Hills Academy |
The Chalk Hills Academy |
Luton |
Penrose Roots to Recovery Garden |
Penrose Roots |
Luton |
Farley Food Growing Hub |
Groundwork Luton and Bedfordshire |
Luton |
Riverbank Community Garden |
|
Manchester |
Incredible Edible Veg Beds in St Mary's Park, Prestwich |
|
Manchester |
Longford Park Community Allotment |
Longford Park Community Allotment |
Manchester |
Platt Fields Market Garden |
Garden Manager/ Director |
Manchester |
Moss Side Community Allotment |
Moss Side Community Allotment |
Manchester |
Phipps Bridge Community Garden |
Sustainable Merton |
Merton |
Wimbledon Guild Community Garden |
The Wimbledon Guild of Social Welfare, Community Garden |
Merton |
MAEDT Community Garden |
Mayfield and Easthouses Development Trust |
Midlothian |
Rockfield Park Community Garden |
Monmouthshire |
|
Wor Lotty |
|
Newcastle upon Tyne |
Hope allotments |
Northampton Hope Centre - Hope Gardening |
Northampton |
Perth Community Farm |
Perth Community Farm |
Perth & Kinross |
Adastral Square Gardening Project |
Poole |
|
Tatnam Organic Patch |
Tatnam Organic Patch |
Poole |
Common Ground |
Near Neighbours Black Country |
Sandwell |
Southend in Transition Community Allotment |
Southend-on-Sea in Transition |
Southend-on-Sea |
Root’n’Fruit Community Allotment |
Stoke-on-Trent |
|
Hendon Natural Community Garden |
Sunderland |
|
Walled Garden at The Abbey Sutton Courtenay |
The Abbey Sutton Courtenay |
Vale of White Horse |
Eastmoor Community Garden |
Eastmoor Community Garden |
Wakefield |
London Gardens
St John's church plot |
Incredible Edible Barnet |
Barnet |
Whetstone Allotments Community Plot |
Whetstone Stray Allotments Community Plot |
Barnet |
Punch and juicy's Root To Market |
Punch and Juicy Liquid Foods |
Brent |
Children Growing Vegetables |
Willesden Green Town Team |
Brent |
Cecil Sharp House Permaculture Garden |
London Permaculture Network |
Camden |
Broomfield Community Orchard |
Broomfield Community Orchard |
Enfield |
The Maryon Park Community Food Growing Garden |
Maryon Park Community Garden |
Greenwich |
Christchurch School Community Garden |
Christchurch CE Primary School |
Greenwich |
St Mary's Secret Garden |
St Mary's Secret Garden |
Hackney |
Rainbow Grow @ HCVS |
Rainbow Grow |
Hackney |
The Castle Climbing Centre |
The Castle Climbing Centre |
Hackney |
Trees for Cities Garden |
Trees for Cities |
Lambeth |
Ruskin Park Community Garden |
Ruskin Park Community Garden |
Lambeth |
Oasis Children's Nature Garden |
Oasis Play Nature Garden |
Lambeth |
The Springbank Rd Community Garden |
Hither Green Community Association |
Lewisham |
Wild Cat Wilderness |
Rushey Green Time Bank |
Lewisham |
John Evelyn Community Garden |
Pepys Community Forum |
Lewisham |
Greenfingers |
Trafalgar Infant School |
Richmond upon Thames |
Sutton Community Farm |
Sutton Community Farm |
Sutton |
Families Go Wild |
Spitalfields City Farm |
Tower Hamlets |
Cranbrook Community Food Garden |
Cranbrook Community Food Garden |
Tower Hamlets |
Greenway Avenue Community Play Garden |
Friends of Greenway Avenue Community Play Garden |
Waltham Forest |
Doddington & Rollo Community Roof Garden |
Doddington & Rollo Community Roof Garden |
Wandsworth |
The Regent's Park Allotment Garden |
Sustain |
Westminster |
Veg Cities: We need your help to get your city or local area growing, cooking, selling and saving more vegetables.
Sustain
The Green House
244-254 Cambridge Heath Road
London E2 9DA
020 3559 6777
sustain@sustainweb.org
Sustain advocates food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, promote equity and enrich society and culture.
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