Autumn Garden Programme
The Pitch
Problem statement
NEA’s catchment in North Edinburgh represents a diverse community that is mostly within the top 5% of the most deprived in Scotland (SIMD, 2020); our community is an area with a lack of quality greenspace & neglected public spaces. This follows the trend identified by Public Health Scotland (2022) that people living in low-income communities are less likely to live near greenspace & less likely to visit those they do live near than those in higher-income areas. Additionally, local residents experience high levels of food poverty due to economic insecurity. It is within this environment that our gardening project operates, offering food growing & nature based activity for the local community.
Solution
We are seeking funding for our children and families work. The grant requested will pay for our family gardener to run 2 free sessions a week over 15 weeks in autumn/early winter 2022. These sessions will focus on growing food, gardening for wildlife and the environment, providing opportunities for participants to • develop food growing skills • access local produce • develop cooking skills • learn about and cultivate the local natural environment Impact: see question on expected impact.
Why are we best placed to deliver?
NEA is a trusted community anchor, cultivating expertise around cultural planning, community participation, public and participatory art, greenspace development and innovative uses of creative play. We have been working with our local community on green and sustainable projects for over 10 years; the refurbishment of our garden was a direct response to underused local assets matched to aspirations and ambitions of the local community. Our garden team has a wealth of experience working with our local community, children and families on a range of outdoor projects, e.g. play, horticulture and environmental education. We believe that this makes us well-placed to deliver this project.
Focus Areas
Delivery plan
Budget breakdown
| Sessional worker, 12 hrs/wk @ £15/hr for 12 weeks | £2,160 |
| Snacks (£20/week) | £240 |
| Materials & tools, e.g. seeds, craft supplies | £300 |
| NEA management (10% total) | £270 |
Beneficiaries
50 people
Expected impact
• Work with 50 participants over 15 weeks • Meaningful engagement with 5 families (each family participates most weeks) • All participants to be drawn from our local community, defined by NEA’s Membership criteria • Participants report: - New skills learnt (food growing, cooking, gardening) - New awareness of benefits of engaging with the outdoors - Improved physical and/or mental health All evaluated via staff observations, session evaluations and participant questionnaires.
Track record
NEA has a successful track record of delivering such projects. Examples: • Summer Garden Programme 2021. Weekly sessions attracted 39 people over 7 weeks, focusing on wildlife and edibles gardening, the environment, nature and biodiversity. Staff reported that sessions supported positive mental and physical health for the participating children and families, through being outdoors and engaged in gardening, games and other activities, but also through being together, which people missed over the course of the pandemic. • Play Rangers, current. Play sessions delivered in local parks, working with 265 children, June 21-March 22. The project supports development of creative play, positive social interactions, positive use and perception of local greenspaces. - Case study: F comes along with mum K. K says being outdoors is good for her and F’s mental health. She is wary about anti-social behaviour in the park and appreciates the safe space that Play Rangers create.