Community Garden
Project: Stewartry Community Garden.
Location: Castle Douglas, at the Rugby Club.
Describe your project
The garden idea was developed in 2021, and then secured Holywood Trust funding. The funding required that the project be led by someone under 25 and Beth, who is 23, became the garden’s project manager in February 2022.
The garden is sited behind the Unicorn Strength Gym on the rugby club grounds just outside Castle Douglas, on a piece of ground that is part of the old Dumfries – Stranraer railway line. So far, the garden has multiple raised beds, a polytunnel, a garden shed, benches, picnic tables and a covered seating area.
Food grown in the garden is used by garden volunteers and any spares given to the Stepping Stones Food Bank in Castle Douglas, as part of the ‘Fit Food’ plan.
How did this get started?
It was gym owner and CDDF trustee Anne Halliday’s idea to provide somewhere to encourage people to get involved in growing their food, and it ties in directly with the health, nutrition, and well-being that Anne promotes through her fitness work. The aim is for it to become a positive place for all ages, but especially younger people, just to be and enjoy, whether they work in the garden, are at the gym, or just socialise.
Beth says “We want to connect up health and food and wellbeing, and have a place where that mindset grows”.
What does sustainability mean to you?
“Being able to do it yourself! People have learned helplessness, and we want to help give people the skills and knowledge so they realise they can do things like grow food themselves, they have the power”
What have you learned so far?
“How to garden!”.
Beth says that she has learned a lot since becoming involved with the project and her attitudes and perceptions have changed. She says she wouldn’t have been so interested in issues like climate change or biodiversity before, but now they are all linked in with the work she is doing with the garden and more widely with the Castle Douglas Development Forum and she has strong views about how important it is to be aware and take positive action.
“It is about bridging the divide on, for example, climate issues, where there is still a ‘them and us’ feeling for many. Ignorance means there is fear, and the answer to fear is to be informed and take action”
What are your plans for the future?
“We’re constantly expanding. The garden is very fortunate to have a group of high schoolers who come down every week as part of their rural skills class – they are the most dedicated kids I have met in a while. ”
“This year we hope to have the inside of our recently constructed poly-tunnel set up and ready to grow goodies. As well as transforming our wooden shelter frame into something more useful. Oh, and grow some vegetables of course”
Beth hopes that the project will also help positively show younger people – “Young people do care and they do want to do things for the community. They want to make a difference. I hope this will be somewhere that helps show people that. As well as providing a safe third place for young people, which the region so desperately needs”.
If you are a young person or run a group for young people – the garden would love to have you down.
