New lease of life for community garden

Community garden, The Friends of Irth, in Irthlingborough, received grant funding from Groundwork Northamptonshire’s Grow Cook Eat initiative.  Chair of the Committee, Jamie Poole, talks about the importance of the project for the local community and the impact the funding has had. 

Big ambitions 

Founded in 2023, The Friends of Irth Project is a community garden based in Irthlingborough. The first of it’s kind in the town, we have two key ambitions for the garden; to reduce social isolation and increase wellbeing by creating a place where people can come together and connect with green spaces. And to educate and empower members of the local community with the knowledge to grow, cook and eat nutritious food.  

When we heard about the possibility of grant funding from Groundwork Northamptonshire, we thought there was an exciting opportunity to really get the project off the ground.  

Invaluable support 

The application process was straight forward and the Grow, Cook Eat Team were so supportive. Their help and advice, along with the wider team at Groundwork, has been invaluable to us throughout the project. We were delighted to receive a full grant, which enabled us to finally start bringing our vision to life.  

Starting as we mean to go on 

In early 2024, the garden was extremely over-grown, with lots of rubbish and debris that needed removing, so we set to work clearing the site. Access to the garden from the road was limited due to it being next to a public park, which made waste removal from the site so much more expensive. But it was an important use of our funds in order to give the garden the very best foundations from which to flourish.  

The site also had no secure fencing, so working closely alongside the Salvation Army, who own the land, we installed new fencing and a secure gate.  

Seeds of change 

Once the site was prepared, the exciting bit could really begin. We ordered raised beds for planting and installed a brand new shed. As the work progressed, the local community became aware of the project and started contributing their help and suggestions. They also now actively fund raise to help develop the garden.  

This sense of neighbourhood community is exactly what we hoped we would spark when we created the garden. We passionately believe that community green spaces are powerful tools in reducing social isolation and increasing well-being for all ages, and it is fantastic to see that vision coming to life. 

Looking ahead 

The project is still in its first year, but we already have plans for the future. We would like to raise more funds to pay for paths throughout the garden to ensure the space is accessible for everyone, including wheelchair users.  

And as we grow and harvest more vegetables, we would like to start supplying our produce to the local food bank, situated in the Salvation Army Citadel, directly next to the garden.  

The satisfaction of working with like-minded, local people to grow, harvest and enjoy fresh produce, is a gift that we want to give the town of Irthlingborough.  

Our Grow Cook Eat project – funded by Public Health North Northamptonshire – includes a dedicated pot of funding for 2024-2025. That means we have grants of up to £3,000 for community groups and not for profit organisations in the north of the county. These grants are designed to help groups and people expand their cooking confidence and skills, tackle obesity, and are also about giving people access to green spaces and revitalising communities. 

Visit https://www.groundwork.org.uk/northamptonshire/grow-cook-eat-2024/ and scroll to the bottom of this web page for grant forms and details or email us growcookeat@groundwork.org.uk.