Minister of Business and Fair Work visits Granton Community Gardeners
Image credit: Images by Open Aye, for Community Enterprise
We were delighted to join Tom Arthur MSP, Minister for Business and Fair Work, at Granton Community Gardeners to see first-hand the impact of this remarkable community-led organisation, which we’ve had the pleasure of supporting through Accelerate.
Granton Community Gardeners brings people together through food growing, gardening, cooking and shared meals. What began in 2010, when local residents transformed a neglected corner of their neighbourhood, has grown into a thriving community organisation.
From its gardening club and community meals to its environmental work and partnerships across North Edinburgh, the organisation is helping to strengthen community wellbeing, create local opportunities and build a more resilient local economy.
Its community-owned site at Wardieburn Road is a powerful example of what can happen when local people have the opportunity to shape and steward the places they live. The site provides a home for Granton Community Gardeners’ work, while also supporting other local organisations and initiatives.
Through Accelerate, Community Enterprise supported Granton Community Gardeners to develop its community bakery, Granton Garden Bakery. Providing affordable, locally produced bread on a pay-what-you-can basis, the bakery also works with local growers and producers to strengthen the community’s food economy. We helped the group explore its potential for growth through financial modelling and business planning, supporting the development of a more sustainable enterprise that can generate income, create further community benefit and support the organisation’s long-term impact.
Our Chief Executive, Douglas Westwater, commented on yesterday’s visit:
"It was a real pleasure to meet with Tom Arthur and see first-hand the incredible impact of Granton Community Garden. From bringing over 100 people together for a weekly community lunch, to running a ‘pay what you can’ bakery, this is a fantastic example of community-led action making a genuine difference.
What's particularly impressive is how the organisation has continued to grow and innovate, recently securing a place on a competitive framework to deliver greenspace works. That achievement comes after 13 years of determined lobbying and persistence, showing what can be achieved when communities have a clear vision and the resilience to see it through."
Thank you to the team at Granton Community Gardeners for welcoming us and showing us the difference their work is making, and to Tom Arthur MSP for taking the time to join us to see the impact and potential of their community-led approach.
