Trustees of Braehead Community Garden have been working hard to put in place Covid-19 procedures to reopen the facility, which has been closed to new applicants since March. Normally the facility leases raised beds to individuals to grow their own fruit and veg, but this year the focus is firmly on volunteering opportunities and community activity.
The garden is now putting out a call for volunteers to get involved in growing fruit and vegetables for a ‘community harvest’ later this year and to help tend to the garden over the summer months.
Trust Secretary Chris Kane says,
‘Gardening is a great form of exercise, both for the mind and the body. We also want to do all that we can to help people have access to locally grown, nutritious fruit and vegetables. As soon as the Government restrictions allow us, we will open our garden gates to welcome people in and get involved in our community project. If you want to help grow crops, help with light-maintenance, help look after the hens, or simply want to hang out with like-minded people (all at an appropriate social distance!), then we cannot wait to meet you at Braehead Community Garden soon.’
Trust Chairperson Matt Power says,
‘We are working hard to have Braehead Community Garden ready for access as soon as permissible. During the lockdown our existing members have been keeping the garden ticking over and have also been propagating and planting seeds in our Market Garden. They’ve been tending to the chickens and undertaking general maintenance. We’re putting in place all that we need to provide a ‘community harvest’ of fruit and vegetables in the Autumn. Our produce will be made available to people who need them and to volunteers who help grow them’.
If you are interested in volunteering at Braehead Community Garden over the summer, please get in touch via and we’ll add you to our volunteering list and keep in touch with details as they develop. The garden hopes to be able to reopen for volunteers in phase 2 of the Scottish Government’s plan for easing of restrictions, with a start date (for the garden not phase 2!) of early July.
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Notes
- Normally membership of the community garden includes everything needed for a gardening experience, including access to tools to tend to both an individual outdoor and a polytunnel raised bed. Seeds and soil are all provided as well as regular social and educational activities throughout the year. Because the facilities will be restricted this year, new memberships have been paused and all efforts have been focused on volunteering activities.
- Volunteering / gardening opportunities will be offered to adults who are able to garden and work with light supervision and look after their own welfare (which includes respecting social distancing and other Covid-19 guidelines).
- Volunteering opportunities will be offered initially from Fri-Sun between 1pm and 4pm, with the start date still to be determined.
- Although the facility is 11,000 square meters, volunteering numbers will be restricted to keep everybody safe and social distanced on site.
- Volunteers are strongly recommended to pre-register via email to attend any session. You can also come and speak to a Trustee during any of the sessions to find out more about what is on offer (although you may not be able to volunteer that day if the session if full)
- Activities will vary from day to day, but may include:
- Tending to the market garden (different crops grown in raised beds)
- Helping with our ‘jam patch’ of strawberries, blueberries and other fruits
- General light maintenance (weeding, caring for plants in the ‘wetland’, etc)
- Compost Making
- Orchard Maintenance
- Looking after the hens
- Activities will be ‘guided’ by a member of the Trust. We’re also keen to hear ideas from ‘creative’ volunteers who have thought on landscaping and planting in non-edible areas of the garden.