Nextdoor Nature BS1 & BS5

In the south of Redcliffe, residents have been working together with Sarah James from local community centre Faithspace to turn a neglected area of land on the estate into a community garden.

What was once a bare grassy space at the back of a derelict garage now pops with colour, its planters filled with pollinator friendly wildflower species such as ox-eye daisies and yellow rattle, as well as seasonal vegetables which are shared by the community and donated to the food bank. A gravel path along the beds means the garden is accessible for all to enjoy and use.

This community garden was the group’s first step to improve Redcliffe for its residents, human and wild alike, but future aims include using the Support Fund to create hedging for nesting birds, plant more fruit trees, and build more planters to create space for food growing and wildflowers.

In a corner of Barton Hill, residents, the Wellspring Settlement community centre and charity Alive Activities have partnered to turn the courtyard garden at the Settlement into a thriving place for social and therapeutic horticulture. Residents from across Barton Hill meet every Thursday afternoon for wellbeing and mental health support, a friendly chat, or just to get involved with planting and gardening activities in the space.

The planters outside the micro-campus with ‘Welcome’ signs in different languages make people smile as they walk by, and attendees to the group can make new friends or spend time building relationships over a cup of tea in the café at the end of each session.

The Beehive Centre is a community hub in the heart of St George, which aims to reduce social isolation and loneliness in the community, particularly tailored to the needs of older people. They also have an Almshouse which provides permanent housing for people over 50 and in need of secure housing.

The Almshouse residents and local visitors to the centre came together to not only make the garden an accessible and safe space, but to begin a regular gardening group where everyone can meet on a weekly basis to make new friends, spend time outdoors and grow food which can be used in the centre’s café.

The group have recently secured funding from our Support Fund to build more planters and further increase the amount of space available for food growing, with plans to create areas for composting and recycling food waste.

Outside Beaufort House in Barton Hill, an overgrown old community garden lies dormant, but local residents and the Wellspring Settlement community development workers are keen to bring it back to its former glory. Barton Hill was an area particularly impacted by the COVID pandemic, so residents of Beaufort House are passionate to create a space where people can come together to share food, support one another, and protect green space for wildlife and nature. Discussions are underway to tidy up the space and rejuvenate the planters so that the garden can once again be a space for locals to enjoy, learn new skills and grow healthy food. Keep an eye on this page for future updates!