Community Garden returns in Knutton, Newcastle

Urban Wilderness are supporting a local community of volunteers to bring a community garden, formerly known as St Giles Community Garden, back into use for their neighbourhood. We have been awarded funding from the National Lottery Community Fund to revamp the derelict space and start a new programme to up-skill local volunteers.

Residents can sign up for out-door first aid, willow weaving, green woodwork, and work with Staffordshire Wildlife Trust to track the impact of green spaces on wildlife. Local poet Gabriella Gay will hold a workshop to rename the garden, and Kwanzaa Collective’s women’s walk-and-work group plan to use the space to grow medicinal herbs.

Monica Cru-Hall, resident and newly appointed Community Engagement Officer, explained how interest in the garden grew during the first lockdown.

“I used to help run the garden years ago, this is going back ten years, but I had to give it up because of other commitments. The other woman who used to run it with me moved away and it’s been neglected for a decade. Then during the first lock-down my neighbour said how good it would be to have somewhere else to go, and I took her to the garden. She was amazed, she had no idea it was there!”

Monica and her neighbour set to work, and they invited other neighbours and organisations to join them. We have supported with distributing bee-friendly flower growing kits and asking the residents what they wanted to learn. 

The feedback we got from local people was a familiar story – increases in housing and cars have left few places for children to play safely, while our incredibly busy lives means few of us have any time to lead on voluntary community projects. But one of the upsides of all the sadness and disruption caused by the last eighteen months is seeing communities reconnect and take action to improve things for each other.

Monica Cru-Hall is a mum-of-four and local business owner, Therapy North Staffs. As a trained therapist she is passionate about the benefits of community connection and green space for wellbeing. She is also a big-thinker and has big plans for the garden.

“I want it to be a space where everyone feels at home, where children can learn about growing food and how to cook with herbs, and where we can, eventually, have community meals together.”

To find out more about the garden visit www.urbanwildernesscic.com/volunteers. If you have a skill that you’d like to share in the garden, please contact info@urbanwildernesscic.com.