A helping hand for community gardens

Do you have a green thumb or a keen interest in growing fresh food? The City of Whittlesea is offering a helping hand to set up new community gardens to support the local community to come together and reconnect.

Gardening Together Again is a 10-week training program that will provide participants with the skills and knowledge to create and maintain a thriving community garden in their local area.

Chair Administrator Lydia Wilson said that community gardens provide an important and inclusive space for people to connect with multiple benefits – the provision of practical advice and guidance, physical and recreational opportunities, and a valuable contribution to the local community through the provision of fresh, affordable food.

“We’ve seen how important it is for our community to stay connected and find ways to support each other, particularly over the past few years,” said Ms Wilson.

“As a keen gardener myself, I know how rewarding it is to get out into the garden, and when you can use what you grow to feed the family it is even better.

“Establishing a community garden from scratch may seem quite daunting though even to us green thumbs. That’s why we’ve developed this comprehensive program to provide support and help guide you through the set up.”

The program, delivered by Cultivating Community, a non-profit and accredited social enterprise, will cover topics including how to set up a new community garden, how to obtain resources and write grant applications, how to set up good management structures and how to use social media to support your group.

Participants will also be able to apply for seed funding for a small garden infrastructure project as well as funding for a celebratory event with the community.

The program will run from April-June 2022 and is an pandemic recovery initiative in the City of Whittlesea Community Plan 2021-2025.

To apply, visit whittlesea.vic.gov.au/communitygarden

Applications close Wednesday 23 March.