The RHS has recently launched its Space to Grow report, a national research project mapping the impact, scale, and needs of more than 2,000 community gardens across the UK.
Enthusiastic volunteers from all walks of life get together in the garden. Copyright: Calthorpe Community Garden
The report celebrates the incredible diversity of these spaces, from school and allotment plots to health centres and container gardens on housing estates. While most community gardens are based in urban areas (76%), a quarter are in rural settings too.
Rachel Dring, Capital Growth Coordinator at Sustain says,
"We're really glad to see in this report that 61% of gardens are growing food. With the rising prices and access barriers for organic fresh produce, growing your own is a wonderful way to eat local and healthily."
Space to Grow illustrates that these sites aren’t just there to grow plants but also provide a space to bring communities together, supporting mental and physical wellbeing as well as encouraging growing skills. At a time were 88% of 18-24 year olds are lonely and half of the population feels disconnected from society, community growing provides is an important space for healing and connection to both people and nature.
This is beautfully illustrated by this video of Camberwell Triangle Garden, in South East London, which shows how gardening brought together this Camberwell community, allowing neighbours who didn't know each other to form strong connections, tackle challenges together and make the most of their shared green space.
The report also demonstrates the wide spread nature of community growing, with over 2.5 million adults taking part in their local gardens over the last three years and 14.7million more saying they would love to get involved. But the research also reveals the very real challenges facing growers with many worried about funding, losing access to land and the need for more support and skill development. Whilst they provide such an essential service, almost a third of gardens operate on less than a staggeringly low £500 per year. Only 3% of gardens own their own sites, and there is a lack of access to water as well as accessible toilets and storage.
The report not only touches on these issues but provides recommendations on how different sectors can help support community gardens:
With these suggestions, the RHS hopes that community gardens are able to successfully flourish, gaining a long term sustainability that will allow growers to grow, instead of worrying about security and funding.
Rachel Dring, Capital Growth Coordinator states
“This timely report shows how widespread and popular the community garden movement it. With so many challenges to accessing land for growing and greening, we welcome the recommendations for greater support, funding and recognition of the many benefits of community gardening, including widespread adoption of the Right to Grow”
As Space to Grow makes clear, community gardens are far more than patches of green they are crucial spaces helping people stay connected, healthy, and hopeful. This report is a reminder of what’s possible when people come together to nurture land and each other and a call to ensure these spaces are protected so future generations can enjoy the many benefits they bring.
Find out more about the Space to Grow.
Capital Growth: Connecting a network of London growers.
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