Community Garden project flourishes thanks to City Council funding

Published: 11 June 2021

A community garden project in Exeter is flourishing thanks partly to a grant from the City Council.

A £469 ward grant from Exeter City Council has allowed St Thomas Community Garden to expand, buy fruit trees, plants and seeds, and to install a community noticeboard to tell everyone about what’s going on.

The group, who are based in St Thomas Pleasure Ground, grow produce for everyone in the local community.

Clemence Scalbert, of St Thomas Community Garden, said the aim of the group was to grow food in a sustainable way whilst engaging with the local community. The Garden also provides a haven for local wildlife.

“The grant and support from the Council has allowed us to more than double our size and we hope that installing waist-level beds will make it easier for older people and those with disabilities to access growing,” added Clemence.

The Group has been planting small fruit trees, vines and bushes to supplement the existing fruit and veg on site.

Others have donated seeds and various tools and the Group is now exploring how it can involve local residents through different activities and events, as well as finding more volunteers and group members.  

Cllr Amal Ghusain, Lead Councillor for Communities and Culture, said: “This is a great example of how our ward grants can really make a difference in the local community.

“It really is great to see St Thomas Community Garden thriving, with a dedicated base of local volunteers giving so much to local people within the community. I can’t wait to see how the Garden develops. This initiative contributes so much to the mental health and well-being of the volunteers and residents and I can’t speak highly enough of it.”

St Thomas Community Garden worked closely with Exeter Connect, an organisation funded by Exeter City Council, to get up and running and tap into local funding like the Council’s ward grants.