The site of our 1.5 acre Community Garden is a disused playing field and is only 200 yards from the Pit Lane entrance on Hassock Lane South.
Volunteers benefit from sharing knowledge of growing sustainable organic food and making healthy meals, caring for our environment, socialising and making new friends. Our aim is for any surplus food to be shared and donated to a local food bank, Olio and we also put produce into our Veg on the Hedge planter under the notice board for passers-by.
The Community Garden is so much more than a Garden though. It is a safe place for people to come together, share, learn and have fun and for some, the Garden is a place to come and reflect and just be. The space is used by a variety of people for many different reasons and that is what makes it so special! In 2022, just some of the things the Garden was used for include ecstatic dance sessions, a stargazing evening, local history talks, propagation class, Easter fun day, a Wildlife interactive day, Greenfolk Festival, Wellness Day and picnics and firepit evenings.
Here are just some of the highlights from 2022!
Keith, the Garden’s Beekeeper proud of the honey produced in the first producing year 
Easter – of course we needed a Bunny! 
Our first Dog Show raising funds for Yappy Ever After Dog Rescue 
Bess in charge of the firepit and having a great time! 
Preloved clothes boutique at Greenfolk festival – raising awareness of fast fashion 
Easter fun day in Shedquarters 
Homecooked plant based picnic at the Wellness Day 
Volunteers making Christmas hampers for the community 
Making pine cone feeders for the birds at the Wildlife Day 
Christmas wreath making using Willow grown in the garden and foraged materials
It is quite hard to believe that SEAG only started work on the Community Garden in September 2019 when it was just a field. It goes to show what can be achieved when a group of people come together with some enthusiasm and willingness to give a bit of their time up to volunteer. SEAG couldn’t be prouder of what has been achieved and is grateful to each and every one of the volunteers and supporters of the Garden.
Here are some pictures showing how things progressed from 2019
Kate Lemon, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust starting the Willow arch 
One of the many raised beds completed 
The challenging task of erecting the polytunnel in wind! 
Aching and tired but still laughing! 
Yin and Yang in the meadow created by the Garden’s late Karl 
Sensory Garden taking shape 
Enjoying a well earned break on the Friendship Bench 
Pretending to be busy! 
Rocks donated for Pond surround – now the challenge of lifting them off the trailer 
After months of planning and hard work, the Pond liner finally goes down 
Hard at work placing rocks around the Pond 
Wildflower meadow in the second year after sowing
ONE YEAR TRANSFORMATION!
Check out the progress we made in the first year of being on site by watching this lovely video and our special edition Newsletter which goes into more detail about how we have achieved the different projects and used permaculture and sustainable practices.
How to get involved
We would love to welcome members of the community between 10 am – 1 pm on Saturday mornings. We have a tea and ‘cake’ break at 11 am. Come down and join us, you will always be met by friendly faces and enthusiasm.
You can contact us here to find out more information about volunteering at the Community Garden.
You can also follow the Community Garden on Facebook here and Instagram here.
Why not subscribe to receive our Newsletter and get all the latest news from the Community Garden, SEAG and eco news as well as tips and resources on sustainable living.
Recent activity….
- Garden Open DayA lovely couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon showcasing some of the different activities that take place at the Community Garden. Volunteers were digging and mulching in the food forest, painting, sewing, crafting. We welcomed many new and old faces and had some fascinating conversations over a cuppa and of course […]
- Summer FayreThe Garden held a Summer Fayre for the first time year. Simple, traditional games for all the family, cakes and refreshments and lots of laughter!
- Community Garden feature in GreenSPring ProjectIn May 2022 the Garden hosted its second Greenfolk Festival and members of Shipley Eco Action Group and volunteers were interviewed for a feature in the GreenSPring Project about green social prescribing. Hear from those involved about how and why the Garden came to be and how the space is used for […]