Communities Living Sustainably
Learning Guide #1
HOW TO CREATE A MEANWHILE GARDEN
Photographer: John Lord
Meanwhile Gardening creates temporary community gardens from unused land until it is ready to be developed. 2
Creating a Meanwhile Garden
Meanwhile Gardens: Getting the community growing An increasing body of research tells us that community growing projects have a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of those involved. Demand for allotments is high however, and finding suitable locations can be challenging. Alongside this pressure on growing spaces, plots of land earmarked for urban development often lie derelict in the heart of communities, the target of vandalism and antisocial behaviour.
Meanwhile Gardening can increase:
physical activity mental wellbeing skills and knowledge healthier eating community pride
Meanwhile Gardening can overcome the challenges of finding suitable growing spaces by giving community groups temporary access to unused land until it is ready to be developed. Accessible patches of land close to where people live are brought into life, allowing communities to reclaim disused land and transform neglected sites into flourishing gardens and to protect it from vandalism and misuse. Meanwhile gardens are a great way to improve the well-being of communities – from relaxing in the fresh air and exercising, to appreciating nature, to meeting other people and growing – and eating – fresh produce. Meanwhile Gardens are a blank canvas – they bring together people from different backgrounds and cultures, encouraging creativity and an awareness and appreciation of the environment. Meanwhile Gardens are by their nature accessible and inclusive, and without the formality of traditional allotments. They can be embedded in communities and set over multiple sites, bringing together the inexperienced and the green-fingered to get everyone growing together. This guide will provide some tips on setting up Meanwhile Gardens, including how to support local community groups to get theirs off the ground.
Creating a Meanwhile Garden
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Making a difference: Projects in action Communities Living Sustainably (CLS) is a £12 million, five year programme funded by the Big Lottery Fund. Twelve communities in England have received funding to help deal with the potential impact of climate change and build the sustainability and resilience of their local community, providing inspiration to other communities and sharing what they have learned. Many of the projects developed community growing initiatives, making use of the Meanwhile model.
Real Food Wythenshawe Real Food Wythenshawe worked closely with Red Rose Forest to access European match funding to set up a growing project in Newall Green, Wythenshawe. As planning progressed, sadly permission to access the land for meanwhile use was denied but the projects pulled together and quickly found an alternative – and better – site. They worked with a local group hoping to turn a former church into a community facility and growing club.
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I want my children to see how vegetables grow so they might eat more healthy stuff. – Spud Club volunteer
They met with interested local residents who had a vision for how the site could develop, including setting up the Spud Club of keen potato growers. Due to the interest and enthusiasm of local people they were able to obtain a three-year lease on the site.
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Creating a Meanwhile Garden
L8 Living Sustainably L8 Living Sustainably decided that all growing sites must: e
complement others involve local people have a ‘champion’ have political support have indoor facilities
L8 Living Sustainably developed a network of over 20 growing sites as a Patchwork Urban Farm across the wards of Princes Park and Riverside in Liverpool. The project linked community members interested in growing together, and helped raise awareness of the benefits of sustainability and the positive health benefits of growing your own. To help ensure the success of the growing sites, the project developed a method of assessing sites for suitability which also provided guidance to community groups. After mapping suitable local areas, they evaluated each site to ensure it met the following criteria: enhancing the area; complementing the work of other partners, with the opportunity to leverage resources; involving the local community; involving a wider partnership with a ‘driver’ or ‘champion’ of the space such as a local business, a housing association or an embedded third sector organisation; has political support from the local authority or council; and has a suitable indoor location nearby to run activities to help improve group cohesion. In total 25 sites were investigated, assessed and mapped. 10 priority sites were identified to progress in the first year of the project and 12 have been identified as priority sites for year two. The gardens vary in size and type. Some are new, set up on previous derelict land while others were already established, but unused - for example one was owned by a charity that went out of business. The gardens are doing well, are attracting participants and are growing a variety of foods including herbs, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, chilli, garlic, aubergine, courgettes and peas.
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Make it happen: How can you do this in your own community? Find the right site Would a Meanwhile Garden enhance the site you’ve chosen and complement other developments and projects in the local community? Is there a suitable indoor location nearby to run group activities? Running events and meet-ups for your community can help build and strengthen relationships and get people committed to your project.
Find a champion! Getting a local business, housing association or charity involved can raise the profile of your Meanwhile Garden, add credibility to your application to the landowner for access to the site, and could bring other benefits such as volunteers, resources or funding.
Make the right contacts A good relationship with the landowner is vital for your Meanwhile Garden to flourish. In many cases this will be the local authority, but could be a housing association or private owner. The Community Land Advisory Service can provide advice and support relating to accessing land. Take time to understand who can make things happen locally and build relationships with these people, identifying the best ways to work together. If you are working with your local authority, consider which councillors are most appropriate to your project – which are relevant to the ward the site is in, who attends any relevant cabinet meetings, and who the relevant local authority officers are. Find out what else is going on locally – linking your Meanwhile Garden to other projects will make sure it’s relevant to your community, and can help to bring in additional funding and resources.
Get a group together Be prepared to put time into working with the local community to get a group together. A strong group of enthusiastic residents from the area can really drive the project forward and keep it going! Don’t just focus on growing plants – allow the group to grow together through a variety of events and activities – but keep your Meanwhile Garden at the heart of what you do.
Think about design Your Meanwhile Garden is temporary, so make sure where possible that you can move your garden when the landowner is ready to develop the land. Raised beds, plants that don’t get too large, and growing in containers, pots and troughs are all great ways to ensure you can transfer your garden to another site if needed. Making your garden accessible, open and inclusive will ensure it can benefit the whole community, and help to sustain interest and involvement.
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Creating a Meanwhile Garden
Help it happen: How can you support local communities to bring about change? Find out what your community wants For local authorities and landowners, the first step to supporting meanwhile growing within the local area is listening to community groups. Groups are willing to put in a lot of work and can achieve a great deal, but they should be taken seriously and have their needs understood. For individuals, why not consider becoming a project ‘Champion’ and help a local project to gain momentum and support?
Give access to suitable sites A lot of meanwhile gardening groups are not looking for financial support or much in the way of resources; all they need is access to suitable land and an agreement that they can use it for their growing activity. Being open to approaches for meanwhile use can bring benefits to both the community and the landowner.
Set up an agreement A ‘meanwhile use’ agreement with community groups can give all parties the confidence with the knowledge that access to the site is guaranteed and the terms understood. This confidence will go a long way in generating enthusiasm and interest in the project and will give community groups a stable base from which to start their planning in earnest.
Is there anything else you can do to help? Outside of allowing access to relevant land, there are a number of positive actions that will help a Meanwhile Garden project. A strong, positive relationship between the landowner and meanwhile garden groups can provide lots of opportunities - consider donating materials or plants for the garden or offering staff time to volunteer to clear the site. Perhaps you can raise awareness of the project locally, or help the community group access appropriate networks. Talking to the group and understanding their needs will benefit everyone, and help make that green oasis bursting with vegetables, flowers and birds a sustainable reality!
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Contact us Communities Living Sustainably Groundwork UK Lockside 5 Scotland Street Birmingham B1 2RR Tel: 0121 236 8565 Email: cls@groundwork.org.uk Twitter: @CommLivSust
www.communitieslivingsustainably.org.uk Design by: Jon Kedwards. Front cover image: SPUR