Case study Grow Batheaston

Grow Batheaston is a community group that has grown from strength to strength. They work towards improving the lives of local residents by working towards these 4 aims:

• Strengthen Community
• Create Food Security  
• Encourage Biodiversity 
• Promote Sustainable Living

The group started up during lockdown by giving out free seedlings boxes to those who had done little or no growing before and has expanded from there. It is all about empowerment of local people to live better lives.

The group began as an unincorporated association and is currently in the process of becoming a charity, which will enable them to achieve even more. Grow Batheaston have a core Steering Group of 7 and 6 Trustees and a growing database of local residents, who are interested in what they are trying to do.

Always coming back to their aims, events and activities are created according to community needs and requests. They have cleverly combined existing skills from the community and trustees to work together and create something truly inspirational. They include all residents, actively encourage local businesses, traders and practitioners to make suggestions to improve the local area and work together to strengthen local networks and boost the local economy.

Local councillors from Bath and North East Somerset, as well as support from local organisations have help develop the capacity of Grow Batheaston.

Grow Batheaton had a stand at the 3SG Charity Conference and Expo at Bath RaceCourse on 19th May 2022, they spoke at the 2021 BANES Climate and Biodiversity conference and have been invited to speak at the BANES Great Big Green Week 2022.

At the heart of creating events, activities and groups/clubs, Ali and the steering group members listen to what the local want and need. This is done at local events, such as the local church fate event, at the existing groups such as the football groups.

A community shop was set up due to limited availability eco-friendly products. An affordable pre-school toddler group was set up for local parents to socialise and connect with nature.

As mentioned above, listening is key. Then Ali uses the following channels to communicate what is happening.

It is truly amazing how many events and activities have been created by Grow Batheaston! Refer to the Grow Batheaston and social media for updated event details. Developing events and activities are based on the needs and interests of the community, inviting locals to get together with the underlying values of the group. 

By spending time in nature, through activities relevant to personal or family needs, it encourages a pride in the area and highlights the importance of green spaces indirectly. 

• Grow Batheaston have created wildflower meadows and planted 500 native trees.
• They have also planted nearly 50 fruit trees around the Elmhurst Estate and in the playground.
• Several patches of wild flower meadows on the Elmhurst Estate have been created - funded by Love Your Park, and permission from the land owners Banes and Curo.
• Forest Garden creation in the back section of the Secret Garden by the riverside car park, thanks to the parish council offering this space on a 3 year lease. To help educate residents about growing their own food by working with nature and benefits of making their gardens more wildlife friendly.

Funding and partnerships were formed with the Curo Group, Manage My Website, Carbon Copy, the Plunkett Foundation and Coop Community Cause