This document contains three case studies where businesses and institutions have, with the help and support of Social Farms & Gardens, created workplace growing sites, so that employees can enjoy the benefits of communal growing and green space in their workplace. Research has shown that workplace growing and taking part in nature-based activities can create tangible benefits for employees and employers around well-being, productivity and absenteeism.
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The big brand Go Compare and Duffryn Community Link, a small community growing group, have worked together for the benefit of local people in one of the most deprived areas of Wales.
Rooted in Hull, which brings the concept of a ‘farm in a box’ directly into the centre of Hull, has worked extensively with the local business community, including Bonus Electrical.
Space To Grow is a community growing project hosted by Lloyds Banking Group in Edinburgh, which aims to use outdoor and indoor spaces, at various business sites, to enable employees and communities to grow food and flowers.
Queen's University in Northern Ireland has helped educate The Bridge Community Garden about business support.
For many people arriving to seek asylum in the UK, community growing spaces can offer vital and unique opportunities to find community, improve mental and physical health and to learn and share skills. These resources have been designed to encourage and support community growing groups to welcome people seeking sanctuary.
Social Farms & Gardens, City of Sanctuary and the Permaculture Association are working together to support and inspire some of the thousands of community growing spaces in the UK to become places of sanctuary for people forced to flee from persecution.
For the past year the Gardens of Sanctuary partnership project has been conducting research into how community growing spaces of all kinds interact with refugees and asylum seekers.
A report based on the project's research findings, a series of case studies and a ‘Gardens of Sanctuary Resource Pack’ have now been published. You can download these below.
- Resource pack - Designed to encourage and support community growing groups to welcome people seeking sanctuary.
- Case studies - Around the UK there are some fantastic examples of growing spaces led by, and offering opportunities to, people who have been forced to seek sanctuary. These case studies have been documented to share ideas and to encourage more growing spaces to become gardens of sanctuary.
- Report - Offers a summary of our findings from the case studies, online survey and literature review. It is designed to support community growing groups and others with funding bids and research projects.
For further information about the project visit the website or contact: [email protected]
The Guide For Landowners (updated 2018) has been produced by the Community Land Advisory Service in Scotland (managed by SF&G) and provides free, comprehensive information and advice to help landowners play their part in the surge in community gardening and food growing across Scotland.
The publication is a response to evidence which shows community groups can struggle to find land. Meanwhile, many landowners are keen to support such projects, but lack the knowledge of how to go about it, are worried about statutory responsibilities or find the process of lease negotiations too daunting. The Guide provides key information on issues such as site suitability, leases, planning and land use and the law.
A downloadable version of the Guide, along with template leases and other resources, is available to download free using the link below.
This action pack is designed to provide the information you need on all aspects of a Community Composting operation. Help and advice is offered for all stages, from the initial planning to the distribution of your valuable compost.
A factsheet to help you get the most out of your growing site all year round. You can use it to:
- Help you plan together with your group
- Anticipate and plan for seasonal gaps
- Involve ‘non gardeners’
- Review the year and make changes
It includes a detailed Garden Planner with suggestions and links to useful online resources under each of these headings, month by month, for you to refer to throughout the year.
We also discuss some general considerations under each of these five headings:
• Sow/grow
• Cook/eat
• Share
• Try
• Learn
This resource has a food focus but you can use the Garden Planner whatever you decide to grow.
The purpose of this guidance is to help community gardens or farms establish a café that can generate an income to help support the rest of the site.