A commons for the city - Community Garden plans.jpg
Project code: 81
Estimated Price
£5,000
Summary
To employ a Development Worker/Gardener to establish working relationships with community groups and individuals to realise the development of a community garden at St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral (north lawn) and the wider biodiversification of the Cathedral grounds (specifically the south lawn; to include a foraging trail).
Description
To develop the community garden site – realising all infrastructure developments over the course of a year: laying paths, constructing a rain shelter and compost bays, establishing a cordoned orchard etc. – whilst overseeing the community garden for its first growing year and preparing for its second. The Development Worker/Gardener will also coordinate the development of a soft fruit and native plant foraging trail. All of these activities will be undertaken with volunteers. In addition to establishing the community garden’s infrastructure and planting, the Development Worker/Gardener will be introduced to users of Walpole Hall, Old Coates House and the A+E project space (all located onsite) – including the NHS Lothian Mental Health Information Station, Edinburgh Cyrenians Recovery Cafe (for those in recovery from alcohol and/or illicit substances), Three Spires Lunch Club (for those over 60), an English Language Class (supporting early asylum arrivals), and Early Days Nursery – to establish links between the community garden and wider grounds (including fork to plate volunteer initiatives, therapeutic gardening and the development of a foraging trail). The Development Worker/Gardener will also liaise with West End Medical Practice (also located onsite) to develop a social prescribing initiative for those who attend the practice. Once established, a social prescribing pathway will be expanded for all Edinburgh residents.
Location: Located within St Mary’s Cathedral precinct - bordered by Palmerston Place, Chester Street, Manor Place and a segment of the City Centre West to East Link cycle path.
Proposed on behalf of: Submitted by A+E in partnership with St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral. A+E is an art and ecology project based at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral. We’re tasked with rethinking the use of the Cathedral’s buildings and grounds in response to the climate and ecological crisis. We support the Cathedral’s and CEC’s transition to net zero carbon by 2030 and we provide commoning opportunities – by running workshops, hosting exhibitions, and developing the Cathedral grounds – to support the wider climate justice movement in Edinburgh.
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