Volunteer Blog - A Public Good: Eco Friendly Garforth's Community Garden

Volunteering is absolutely fundamental to the work of Climate Action Leeds, and people who have given time to the partnership are often best placed to tell stories of success, too.

Here, volunteer Moira describes how people of all ages have transformed a stretch of overgrown wasteland into a well-kept and welcoming garden for everyone to enjoy.

In October 2023 it was all brambles at the bottom of a pub car park, but 500 hours of volunteer time and 3 skip-loads of rubbish later, we felt we could safely invite people in to have a look.

Before

On the open day

So, what would they think?

Well, the April day was dry and even sunny at times, which was a great start. 13 of the volunteer team were on hand, ranging from 18 to almost 80 years old and keen to show visitors what we had done and were hoping to do. The cake supply was looking good too...

30 people came! They joined in with Angela and Andy’s art activities, filled Carol’s bug hotel, and helped Joe build more of the pop-bottle greenhouse.

People relaxed by the pond, refreshments were enjoyed, and strawberries planted by Josh and Lee, with some help from our younger visitors. Seeds were sown too: sunflowers and broccoli, and beds dug for when they germinate.

People chatted and some of our volunteers explained why they enjoy working at the garden.

"It's nice to be around lovely people," said Angela. "It's an inclusive, kind, and friendly safe place. I've learnt new things". 

Dawn said: "It's lovely to see all ages and kids here, you can learn and enjoy yourself, there's so much potential."

Feedback on the day was encouraging so we will be less nervous next time, by when we will have a proper gate and hopefully some new potatoes and strawberries for people to harvest.

None of this would have been possible without the support of Mel and Andy of the Lord Gascoigne, Greene King Brewery, which owns the land, and Climate Action Leeds who have funded Eco Friendly Garforth from their National Lottery grant.

If you would like to get involved, please contact us via our Facebook page or call into the garden on a Wednesday morning, between 10am and 12pm. We are looking to expand our sessions to other days and activities as the volunteer team happily continues to grow.