Scotswood Garden is much more than a community garden. We are an award winning environmental and community organisation based in the heart of one of the most deprived wards in England. The garden was established in 1995 on the site of an old school playing field in the grounds of the John Marley Centre. The mandala-based design created by Ed Tyler was taken from Bill Mollison’s Permaculture: A Designers Manual.
The aim was to create a productive, bio-diverse garden that would be a tool for urban regeneration because it brought nature into the city. The garden covers just over 2 and a half acres. It includes ponds, woodland, perennial meadows, scrubland, a 'no dig' veggie plot and forest gardens. Our forest gardens are some of the oldest in the country and provide a range of fruits, nuts and other food.
Mission:
To inspire and promote learning about nature, the environment and sustainable living, whilst having a positive impact on people’s health & wellbeing
Objectives:
To improve the health, wellbeing and fitness of the wider community.
To support and enable diverse people to gain new skills and knowledge and to develop their creativity
To develop a cohesive and sustainable community in Scotswood
To maintain the garden for the benefit of the wider community and provide a haven for native flora and fauna
To educate people about how to better live sustainably
To maintain long term sustainability of the Garden
We support between 3500 and 4000 people a year, who live in areas of multiple deprivation and face discrimination. We use nature-based interventions proven to improve health, build connections and develop skills. Evaluations find our work is highly effective.
From the Garden we deliver the following programmes:
1. Youth-5 weekly youth groups, holiday activities, detached youth work, Duke of Edinburgh Award.
2. Adult-conservation volunteering, work experience and accredited training for diverse adults with disabilities and/or mental health challenges.
3. Older People- outdoor volunteering, nature-based workshops, therapeutic horticulture for people with dementia.
4. Education-environmental education workshops and forest schools for school children, Forest School Leadership for teachers.
5. Community-4 events a year, a community plant nursery and 'Sticky Business' which trains local people to make and sell preserves.
We have a long track record of improving outcomes for local people affected by poverty and the natural world. We provide a vital and trusted community resource which has grown and developed in response to local need through genuine opportunities for people to shape our services. The garden is open to the public Monday to Friday 10-4pm, it is advised that you call before coming in case we are closed for an event. If you would like a guided tour please contact us to book.