Outdoors Projects Planning

 Our community land projects

We have had a series of meetings with some remarkable organisations, including the Tree Council, Keep Scotland Beautiful, Britain in Bloom, the Share and Repair Network, and Circular Economy Scotland. Action Earth, Nature Scot and Volunteer Matters, Polmont Community Hub (PCH) are now registered with these and other organisations. Many groups across the country are extremely envious of the assets that our Community possesses—not only our facilities for room and hall hire space, but also the extensive outdoor green spaces. That we are going to look after for the community. We are excited to transform these areas into a community asset for future generations, which we believe could become the envy of the district.

over the past year, we have been holding talks and making plans locally, also with the community and district council involvement. this is a continual and sometimes frustrating process, which is why we incorporated a public consultation about our plans into Apple Day. this will also continue -the plans are still on display, with input welcomed

Community Growing Projects Breakdown for the Community Garden and Orchard

1. Outdoor Meeting Areas and Green Space:

   - Establish designated areas for community gatherings, workshops, and events surrounded by nature. 

We have already begun some work towards creating these outdoor meeting areas. Kenny managed to secure funding from Action Earth, which was used to purchase wood and equipment. Nige built benches and started building planters to complement the benches in the outdoor meeting area. Wood chips have been sourced from a company that may have otherwise disposed of them. 

These now form part of an outdoor meeting area located at the front on a tarmac surface, which we completed in March. We used tools and materials from donations and funders, using volunteer skills, and tools from our garden bothy tool library

We still need to create many more cost estimates and develop further project plans for further development. whcich we aim to do as environmentally kind as possible, For example, we managed to source an environmentally friendly wood preservation company and have purchased environmentaly friendly wood preservative to use throughout all of our projects. Additionally, Nige can now teach us how to manufacture these benches and planters from upcycled materials.

2. Community Garden:

   - Develop raised beds for growing a variety of vegetables and herbs.

   - Create a herb garden, possibly integrating herbs along the edible highway for easy access.

The community garden area we have planned will feature a variety of growing methods, including new raised beds and traditional allotment-style plots. This will differ from the herb-growing section of the project, which we are already developing. For example, we envision a bin store that incorporates a herb garden on top, and we may also combine this with our composting area. Additionally, a member of our growing group has attended a course on manufacturing herbal tea bags. We hope that by this time next year, we will be able to provide our community with organic herbal teas grown in our herb gardens.

The community food growing groups do not necessarily have to be the same people that manage the herbs, fruit orchards, or other fruit-growing areas. These can be separate groups with different leaders. We have the resources available and can secure funding; we just need more volunteers. 

Let's work together to transform our community into a sustainable space that can be enjoyed for generations to come. This is achievable if we all collaborate. We aim to create a welcoming gardening area, similar to the small group that has already been established.

3. Polytunnel and Tool Shed:

   - Set up a polytunnel for year-round growing opportunities.

   - Organize another shed for tools and gardening equipment storage. Then cover over the area between our existing shed and the next one as sheltered from the rain outdoor work area

4. Soil, Composting Area and Wormery:

   - we have Implemented a composting system to recycle organic waste and produce nutrient-rich compost.

   - we now want to set up a wormery for vermicomposting to enhance soil health. and provide us with liguid fertiliser

  - adopt our Gardeniser Permaculture approach to land management and settlement design that adopts arrangements observed in flourishing natural ecosystems.

5. Community Orchard:

   - Plant a diverse range of fruit trees to create a vibrant orchard, engaging the community in harvesting and maintaining them.

   - Consider containerized fruit trees to encourage community members to plant their own at home.

- Nut trees should also be utilized for our future forest agenda

6. Outdoor Learning and Picnic Area:

   - Develop a space for educational workshops and gatherings, equipped with picnic tables.

- outdoors cooking area with an organic oven

7. Water Security and Infrastructure:

   - Install water bowsers for efficient irrigation and explore sustainable water management practices. sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) sudponds will feature in our future proofing plans

 - we have already sourced one bowser second hand from an allotment worker, 

- we have stressed to our building rejuvenation & feasibility architect how important fresh water management is to us  

8. Pergola Walkway and Sensory Footpath:

   - Construct a pergola walkway to enhance the aesthetic appeal and provide shaded areas.

   - Design a sensory footpath with varied textures and plants to promote sensory experiences.

 - design in sweet smelling trees bushes and flowers, not only for mindfulness health walks, but also potential for growing cleaning products aromatherapy products and natural herbal medications and lotions

9. Food Avenues:

   - Create pathways lined with edible plants, providing both beauty and harvestable food. along with native hedgerows

10. Secure Bike Storage:

    - Establish a secure area for storing bikes to encourage eco-friendly transportation to the garden.

 - We are looking into power-assist cargo bikes as our community garden tractor, transporter

 - Design a sheltered outdoor workspace for woodworking and bicycle repair projects, allowing volunteers to work comfortably.

11. Planters and Benches:

    - Construct planters for growing flowers and decorative plants.

    - Add benches throughout the garden for resting and enjoying the surroundings.

- incorporate a circle of willow trees hammock distance apart to be cultivated into an organic hall

12. Waste Management:

    - Develop a bin store for effective waste disposal and recycling.

 - we have started food waste recovery projects that need to be further developed. In future, we aim to offer this service out to the wider community and other hubs and potentially commercial outlets/ other local small to medium enterprises

  - Educate hub users and volunteers on creating less waste towards our ambitious zero-waste goals

- Implement our robust purchasing policy focusing on organic, plastic-free, and ethical materials where possible. These can always be upcycled, recycled repurposed 

- we are part of the share and repair circular economy and social enterprise network, aiming to be leaders in a zero-waste, nothing-to-landfill/nothing-new organisation 

13. Project Management and Volunteer Coordination:

    - Break down each project into manageable tasks and assign volunteers to lead specific initiatives.

 - Seek funding to employ someone into a development officer role

14. Trial and Community Engagement:

    - Explore biochar trials by comparing growth rates of plants with and without biochar.

    - Capture the development process through filming and social media to engage the community and highlight progress.

- take part in citizen science events and keep journals and blogs

By breaking the community growing projects into specific areas and tasks, we can maximize our resources and ensure the successful development of our community garden and orchard. You dear readers - input and ideas are invaluable, and together we can create an inspiring space for all!