Vision and Purpose:

This community garden will serve as a multifunctional space that:

• Provides a calm and beautiful resting place for individuals using the active travel networks.
• Engages local people in food-growing practices, offering an accessible way to connect with urban agriculture.
• Supports biodiversity, linking nature networks in Roseburn Path, Union Canal, and Dalry Cemetery, mitigating habitat loss caused by the cycle path development.
• Improves soil permeability to absorb rainfall and reduce flooding risks on Russell Road.
• Promotes community wellbeing by providing a shared space where local people can gather, share knowledge, and engage in meaningful activities that strengthen local connections and deepen community ties.
• Promotes individual wellbeing by enabling people to reconnect with nature, contributing to mental and emotional health through hands-on engagement with soil, plants, and local wildlife.

 Environmental resilience and food security:

• Permaculture techniques to manage natural resources at the garden.
• Careful rainwater management (waste water runoff collection by plumbing runoff pipes from cycle path railway bridge into water butts, rain water collection in landscaped swales)
• Improvement of soil structure, stability and nutrient density (Focussing on perennial plants as much as possible to reduce soil disruption, adding organic matter back into the soil with compost and green manure, improving soil water permeability and water retention through surface mulching)
• Natural pollination and pest management by co-planting veg/fruit with flowers and herbs to attract pollinators and pest-managing insects like ladybirds.

 Access to food growing knowledge and green skills:

• By encouraging community learning and informed participation in community composting, demonstrated by a fantastic project in Lancaster where residents could take a quick induction course in order to make sure compost composition and maintenance was correct. More community involvement means more compost, which means more food!
• Volunteers at the garden will learn hands-on about food growing, and funding could allow guest experts to come in to teach skills, or to help run interactive sessions.

Project Title: Grow at Home: Urban Food Growing for All

Project Description

Planetary Healing Centre, in partnership with The FREE Company, will deliver Grow at Home: Urban Food Growing for All-a practical, community-led initiative that empowers adults across Edinburgh to grow their own food, regardless of space or experience. This project will offer twice-monthly, hands-on workshops at The FREE Company’s Cockdurno Farm, led by two experienced facilitators. Each session will welcome up to 16 participants and focus on practical, low-cost methods for growing food in small urban spaces such as buckets, pots, balconies, windowsills, and gardens.

What We Will Do with the Funding The funding will cover facilitator costs, materials (including seeds, containers, and compost), and coordination, enabling us to run 8 free workshops over 12 months. Sessions will cover topics such as soil health, container planting, seasonal growing, composting, organic methods, and seed saving. The programme is designed to be inclusive and trauma-informed, welcoming those with no prior experience and removing financial and knowledge-based barriers to participation.

Who Will Benefit The project is open to all adults in Edinburgh, with a focus on:

People experiencing mental health challenges, who will benefit from the therapeutic effects of growing and group support.

Individuals affected by the cost of living crisis, who will gain skills to grow affordable, nutritious food at home.

Urban residents with limited or no access to green space, especially those in flats or overcrowded housing.

Minority ethnic communities, who are often underrepresented in environmental initiatives.

Socially isolated individuals, including older adults, carers, and people in recovery.

Environmentally conscious individuals seeking practical ways to reduce their carbon footprint.

Total of participants = 8 sessions of 16 people = 128. We usually expect 75% returning, therefore we estimate a total of 96 people will benefit if we count returning people.

Expected Impacts Participants will:

Gain knowledge and confidence to grow food at home, improving access to fresh, healthy produce.

Experience improved wellbeing, reduced social isolation, and increased community connections.

Contribute to Edinburgh’s 2030 Climate Strategy by reducing reliance on high-emission supermarket produce and building local food resilience.

Share their skills and learning with family, neighbours, and wider networks, amplifying the project’s impact.

Alignment with Fund Priorities This project directly supports the Grow Your Own Fund’s aims by:

Creating new, accessible food growing opportunities.

Providing education and training in urban food growing.

Reducing food waste and promoting sustainable, low-carbon lifestyles.

Engaging underrepresented and disadvantaged groups in community growing.

Project Timeline and Budget The project will run for 12 months, with 8 workshops held per year. The grant will be used for:

Facilitator fees (£40 per session x 2 facilitators x 8 sessions)= £1600

Growing materials (seeds, compost, containers, insurance, volunteer expenses, monitoring and evaluation, etc) £800 

Coordination and outreach to ensure the programme is accessible and reaches those most in need. £2000

Total = £4400

Measuring Success We will track participant attendance, collect feedback, and assess skill development through pre- and post-programme surveys. We will encourage participants to report on their home food growing and share stories of impact within their communities. Regular updates will be shared with funders and the wider public through newsletters, social media, and our website.

Summary By making food growing accessible, practical, and inspiring, Grow at Home: Urban Food Growing for All will help build a healthier, more resilient, and climate-conscious Edinburgh-one balcony, bucket, and windowsill at a time.

This description aligns with the Grow Your Own Fund guidelines, clearly addressing what you will do, who will benefit, expected impacts, alignment with fund priorities, and how you will measure success

The project wants to grow more fruit bushes and welcome more people by offering picnics and a place to meet outside and in the shade of the polytunnel and to encourage the support of others that are wanting to enjoy gardening and grow crops from their childhood. People can eat and enjoy the fresh produce as well as all the wonderful aromas that are created with the likes of tomatoes, strawberries, dill and mint. Fruit bushes offer more nutrition as well which benefit health and diet.

There is an opportunity for all ages to thrive in this space and enjoy the delights of investigating wildlife and planting and growing. A pond allows for more learning along with all the bugs in the area and the sharing of learning from the beekeepers that are near by. There is a requirement for more pond life and plants that benefit the climate in Edinburgh

There will be learning and sharing as people enjoy the beauty of the earth and its produce. 

There can be crops that are not commonly harvested and food sharing as well as cooking of food and sharing time together.

There is an opportunity to reuse materials and build on what has been established rather than creating something new and many items are recycled and shared 

There is a plan to look at developing education and learning with experts that can talk about growing in Edinburgh.

Tools, plants and cooking materials are required for this project

By concentrating on growing our own fruit and vegetables we aim to decrease our carbon foot print by sourcing as much of our food locally or at least from the UK contributing to the Council's Net Zero target.  In addition we will offer working in a garden environment to volunteers of all ages who will benefit from working with plants and growing food.  Being a Jewish organisation from a security point of view we will not be able to open our doors to the general passing public unless we have prior notice of who is coming through our gates.  Having said that we are already taking Church and local U3A groups round our Biblical Garden which forms part of the general garden. We have connections with the Salisbury Centre next door and St Mary's Cathedral Eco Group. A fruit orchard is the next step in expanding our food growing operation. Volunteers from the wider community are welcome to work with us in the garden. At the moment we a limited amount of edible produce eg leeks, onions, coriander, broad beans as well as non edible plants in the Biblical Garden eg roses, poppies, lily of the Valley. 

We would like to expand our growing vegetable space to accommodate a waist high trug to allow accessibility for older gardeners and cooks who find bending difficult. In anticipation of more volunteer gardeners we need more gardening tools and shed to house the equipment. 

We would like to develop the outdoor farm area of Longstone Primary School.  We have so far constructed 5 large raised beds for growing vegetables and further space is available around it.  We would like to add fruit bushes and plants to this.  The area will help develop the children's understanding of where our food originates, allow them to learn how we can grow our own and then enjoy the reward of picking and eating it.  Our goal is to provide further outdoor learning opportunities and a space that the children can be proud to take care of.

How do we hope to spend the money?

We would like to purchase and plant a selection of fruit plants, including raspberries, blackcurrants, strawberries and rhubard.  We would also like a supply of seeds and seedlings for the vegetable area, including herbs for a sensory area.  We would also purchase some child-sized gardening equipment, including gloves, small trowels/forks and watering cans.  Other gardening supplies such as compost, seed pots and growing supports/trellises would also be needed.  We would also look to purchase a folding fire pit and safety equipment so that small groups could be involved with outdoor cooking.

Who will benefit from this project?

The site is accessed by 300 children - 250 from the primary school and 50 from the attached nursery.  This project would provide garden areas accessible to all of these children, giving the option for teachers to incorporate outdoor learning into their classes.  It would also be available for use in extra-curricular activites with a gardening club.  This project is coordinated by the parent council so would also provide volunteering and social activities for the parents and carers willing to help.

The West Pilton Gardening Group is seeking funding to expand and further develop our existing community garden, increasing access to fresh, locally grown produce for people in our area. Our project supports food security, environmental sustainability, and community wellbeing. By enhancing the garden’s infrastructure and capacity, we will be able to grow food for our local sharing initiatives, involve more volunteers in meaningful activity, and provide opportunities for informal learning and skill-building.

Our community garden is already a valued local resource. With additional support, we aim to increase its impact by producing food, engaging more people, and creating a greener, healthier neighbourhood. Produce grown in the garden will be shared via our Community Sharing Shelf at the PEP Centre and used in our community groups. The project will also promote mental and physical wellbeing by offering regular opportunities for residents to connect with nature, learn new skills, and contribute to a shared purpose.

Project Objectives:

• Expand and improve our community garden to boost food production.
• Provide fresh, sustainable produce to our community groups and local residents, supporting the City of Edinburgh Council’s Net Zero and Anti-Poverty priorities, as well as aligning with the priority goal of Creating Good Places to Live and Work.
• Promote wellbeing and social connection by involving volunteers in growing activities, skill-sharing, and informal education.
• Foster a greater understanding of urban food growing and sustainable practices through hands-on experience.

How We Will Use the Funding: A grant of £4,000 will allow us to:

1. Install Two Greenhouses – These will extend the growing season, support seed propagation, and increase our ability to produce food year-round.
2. Purchase Tools, Equipment, Seeds, and Plants – Essential resources to expand and maintain the garden effectively and sustainably.
3. Employ a Sessional Gardener – We will hire an experienced gardener for 3 hours per week over 6 months (£25/hour). This role will involve planning and overseeing growing activities, supporting volunteers in the Gardening Group, and delivering informal education and skills sessions.
4. Increase Volunteer Engagement – We will involve a diverse group of at least 15 local volunteers, including existing PEP service users, in regular gardening sessions. Funding will help us promote the project widely across the community, making volunteering accessible and inclusive.

This project will be an inclusive, community-led initiative. The garden will serve as a space not only for food production, but for social connection, skill-building, and positive action on climate and health.

Nearly all Old Town residents live in flats with no access to a garden. EOTDT’s Community Growing Collective aims to partner up keen gardeners with greenspaces that need tending. The project has four main aims:

1. To get more Old Town residents playing an active role in gardening in their community. 

2. To grow fruit, vegetables and herbs for the community to use

1. Skill sharing, civil empowerment, and creating long lasting relationships. 

2. To improve Old Town greenspaces for public accessibility and enjoyment.  

Through previous funding, we have set up partnerships with the West Port Garden and Scottish Veterans’ Residencies. We have had a launch event to inform local organisations of the project, and recruited 20 volunteers so far. We require further funding to purchase gardening resources and equipment, to hire a freelance growing coordinator, and for staff time to organise and evaluate the project. 

Volunteers will work on gardens in weekly slots, planting, tidying, weeding, and doing any maintenance work to improve the spaces. Any food grown will then be used in The Crannie’s free community pantry, and in their weekly cooking group and subsequent community lunch. A focus will be placed on skill sharing and community empowerment, with the Growing Coordinator helping to teach about growing veg in Scotland. Additional focus will be on building community relationships, allowing the participants to enjoy spending time in the gardens and working together.

We hope the funding can support the Community Growing Collective becoming a mainstay of our weekly programme, while allowing the local spaces to flourish. The Veterans’ Residencies garden is used by 80 veterans, and West Port Garden is a very central publicly accessible space. We hope that when it has been transformed, it will be an enjoyable place for local residents and passers-by to experience. 

The project aims to be as sustainable as possible, contributing positively to the climate via several avenues: empowering locals to grow their own food, lessening the need for imported supermarket goods, and creating enjoyable accessible greenspaces in the Old Town.