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A community garden built by the community for the community in Nantwich has won the funding to run for the next three years.
A dedicated team of Volunteers from the Growing Health Community Garden have spent over two years raising the funds for and building the fully accessible organic garden as a space where people can come relax, recuperate, learn about gardening, grow healthy food, experience nature and wildlife, and build self-confidence and friendships.
Thanks to The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, the Nantwich Community Garden will soon be ready to welcome referrals from the NHS, community support organisations like Age UK, care homes, schools and the wider community.
Nantwich Town Council has played a vital role in the project’s success. It has provided the allotment site rent free to the community group, funded a polytunnel for growing seedlings, and has played a vital role as the lead applicant in winning the funding from the National Lottery.
The grant of £55,658 will pay for a part time professional co-ordinator, based at Nantwich Town Council’s Civic Hall, who will be working with the NHS, with care providers and with the community to establish the Growing Health Community Garden as a safe, welcoming and vibrant community garden.
The garden at Brookfield allotments is now fully fitted out with 19 substantial wheelchair accessible raised beds, a community shelter, a tool shed and a polytunnel.
Initial seed corn funding came from Cheshire East’s Covid Recovery Fund, with donations from Crewe and Nantwich District Round Table, Hough Community Bingo fundraisers, and numerous kind donations of materials, time and energy from local people.
Sustainable Nantwich member Jeremy Herbert, one of the founding partners of the project, welcomed the news.
“The dedicated team of volunteers who have built this garden have been amazing. They have cleared masses of rubble and weeds, battled against flooding and freezing weather, mud and muck. Despite setbacks and hold ups they have battled through.
“The garden was a response to the Covid crisis, offering people an opportunity to get out into the fresh air, enjoy exercise, the therapeutic benefits of gardening and wildlife, and friendship and community. It really struck a chord,” he said.
Nantwich Town Mayor Councillor Peter Groves said the community garden was a valuable addition to the Town’s well-being.
“This garden has brought people together in the midst of the Covid storm. There is significant evidence of the health-giving therapeutic benefits of gardening and nature. The NHS and health practitioners are keen to plant the seeds of good health and are already working to make the project a success.
“I am delighted Nantwich Town Council has been able to support this project and will be playing such a critical role in getting it established for the future. This is all about brining people together and growing confidence, well-being and environmental engagement.
“Joining together with Nantwich in Bloom, Reaseheath College, Sustainable Nantwich, Cheshire Wildlife Trust, the Civic Society, the Nantwich Partnership, local businesses and the wider community, Nantwich really is a blooming wonderful community,” he said.
National Lottery players raise over £30 million a week for good causes across the UK. The National Lottery Community Fund distributes a share of this to projects to support people and communities to prosper and thrive.
During the pandemic, in 2020 alone, The National Lottery Community Fund distributed almost£1 billion to charities and community organisations across the UK.
Find out more on National Lottery Funding
Interested in getting involved?
Contact Nantwich Town Council on 01270 619224 or could you be the valuable co-ordinator needed to take this project forward? Head over to our Be Part Of Our Team page for more information.