West Pilton Community Gardeners are seeking public support for a funding application that will see their West Pilton Brae project completed and enable the startup of a new afterschool club. The group has launched a petition to show that West Pilton residents support the gardeners’ plans.
The community garden at West Pilton Brae was begun in the spring of 2012 by a handful of local women and children with some guidance from a local gardener. The garden design and construction work which took place over the summer involved over 40 children and 20 adults from the local area, and the group is now seeking funding from the city council’s local Forth Neighbourhood Partnership to finish the garden’s construction and to support a weekly after-schools club at the request of the kids.
Local gardener Kirsty Sutherland has been taking the lead in compiling everyone’s ideas into the garden design and teaching adults and children how to grow and harvest a great variety of fruits, vegetables and flowers. She said: “We have made a list of materials we need to finish the garden and run the club for the children. This includes a secure shed, a water tap, children’s gardening tools, and a sessional worker to undertake the garden construction and plan weekly activities for the kids.”
The group’s first bid for funding was unsuccessful, but Kirsty is hopeful that the group will have better luck this time round. “This is our second application to Forth’s Neighbourhood Environment Programme (NEP) fund for the West Pilton Community Garden – it was refused by the Neighbourhood Partnership back in March on the grounds that they could not fund similar projects until the Wardie Backgreen Food Growing Initiative was proven a success. Our own garden has proven a success on very minimal funding but with plenty of community involvement. Documenting the progress with photographs has made me realise what a long way we have come since the spring – the garden’s now a wee oasis of calm and community involvement!”
Kirsty believes she knows the reason why the West Pilton project has been a success while others have struggled. “Community involvement in the design and construction of the garden so far appears to have been the secret to avoiding common problems with other community garden projects, like vandalism and dog fouling. This flexible and creative community led approach, facilitated by regular sessional work is working well.”
Local out for the petition at all local venues.
For further information, contact Kirsty Sutherland on 07778732171 or email kirsty@piltonresidents.org.uk
You can also check out he group’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/WestPiltonCommunityGarden
PS: Feel free to get in touch if you want to join in with the garden group whatever your age or gardening experience!
