West Pilton Community Garden was invited to take part in an exhibition of photographs at the Scottish Parliament this week, in the hope of raising government awareness of the work done by local people to create something beautiful and useful.
Community gardener, Kirsty Sutherland said “Many photographs have been taken as the garden developed last year and it was a hard job to select just three for the parliament, to give a ‘flavour’ of our garden and the people who have been working in it.”
The garden has been welcomed by local people and proved popular with local children who have enjoyed the ‘fruits of their labour’ over the summer.
Local MSP Mark Lazarowicz kindly signed the garden petition started by local people, to prove to Forth councillors that this garden deserves funding for simple needs like a secure shed, water tap, seating area and a wheelchair accessible path.
School groups and other local organisations working with disadvantaged adults and children wish to visit and work in the garden. We can’t provide this until we have the garden properly built and appropriate support workers on site.
Naomi from the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens said: ” ‘It was a great opportunity to showcase the excellent work of community gardening and farming projects and bring up some of the issues that affect community gardening and farming projects. A lot of interest was shown by MSP’s and many of them have signed up to visit a community farming/gardening project in their constituency. Through a visit the benefits of community gardening will be able to be experienced first hand.”
The benefits from community farming and gardening include; physical and mental wellbeing, socialising and meeting new people, creating areas which are beneficial for wildlife and the environment, encouraging people take a pride in their area, providing opportunities for learning new skills, volunteering and bringing people together to see what other opportunities there are for sustainable living on their doorstep.
We hope that our elected councillors will recognise that this garden is a sustainable community-led idea, and support the funding requests lodged with Forth Neighbourhood Partnership since 2011.
kirsty@piltonresidents.org.uk
http://northedinburghcommunityorganics.wordpress.com/
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