Community Asset Transfer
GARDEN TRANSFERED TO COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP
November 2023:
We're excited to announce that the Community Asset Transfer process has now been completed and we officially own our Community Garden (10 Wardieburn Road).
We were awarded £82,902 from the Scottish Land Fund (Scottish Government), in order to purchase the land, with some funds to cover legal costs and some staff time for our organisation.
In the short term, nothing dramatic will change on the ground, as we've already had full use of the site. But this secures the land as a Community Garden for the long term (previously we didn't have any legal security of tenure). It will also make it easier to attract funding to improve the site. It's a great vote of confidence in our community to manage this garden into the future, and a recognition of all the community effort that's gone into creating the dynamic vibrant place that so many people appreciate.
A huge thank you to everyone who's helped with this process, including filling in our consultations, writing letters of support, and giving us advice (particularly the Community Ownership Support Service (COSS)). And a special thank you to everyone who's helped in the garden over the past 5 years, whether woodwork, food growing, cooking, playing music, litter picking, free-shop tidying, wheelbarrowing, making cups of tea, path building, playing with the mud kitchen, polytunnel assembling, donating, storytelling, feeding the hens, compost turning, welcoming new people, putting gazebos up and down, admin and organising, moving chairs, sharing your knowledge and skills, harvesting and washing veg. And all the other jobs and contributions that make a community garden flourish. Only our local community could make a community garden with all the good points this one has!
May 2018
Site following demolition of the old Granton Early Years Centre
Community meals with the Scran Van
Harvest festival 2022
Sharing great food
Creating new growing areas
Seed saving
Burns night 2021
The garden is now owned by Granton Community Gardeners SCIO. We are a Community Controlled Organisation, which means that only members living in our defined local area* can be voted onto our board or have a vote on big decisions. Anyone who supports our aims** can join as a member even if you live outside the boundary.
If you'd like to sign up as a member (for free) please click the button below.
*The area is bounded by (and inclusive of the streets mentioned), the sea, Wardie Steps, Granton Road, Ferry Road (numbers 400-740), West Granton Access Road, and Waterfront Broadway with a line extending directly to the coast.
**Our charitable aims are:
To support the advancement of a well functioning community with an increasingly healthy social, environmental, and economic fabric. Particularly by creating opportunities for people to meet together around food (growing cooking and eating) and by supporting those who take initiative on this.
To promote environmental improvement, including protecting and increasing biodiversity, by creatively imagining the best uses for our open spaces, and by caring for these spaces, particularly community gardens.
To advance health and wellbeing, both physical and mental, by:
facilitating and supporting access to gardening opportunities, and other community events.
contributing to improved diet through increased access to, and availability of, fresh local produce.
To advance education and skills, particularly related to food (growing, cooking, and eating).