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Growing your own food
17/11/2009
Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham visited the Bridgend Community Allotment Health Project in Edinburgh today to see the positive impact growing your own food has on health and wellbeing.
The health project is all about getting people together to grow healthy food without using chemicals. The project is open to all ages and all levels of fitness.
The Minister was given a tour of the garden, met staff, heard first hand about participants' involvement in the project and planted a tree to celebrate the initiative's success to date.
Bob Anderson, Chair, Edinburgh Community Health Partnership (CHP) said: "I am delighted to welcome the Minister to this project, which marks our commitment to the use of community gardens as an important part of our health promotion service.
"We are also establishing growing plots at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital for use by patients with the support of staff as part of a therapeutic activity."
Jennifer Fairgrieve, Community Development Facilitator for Edinburgh and Project Manager, Bridgend Allotment Community Health Project, said: "This project encourages individuals to take ownership of their health and wellbeing. Their active participation develops their appreciation of healthy eating and physical activity as part of a balanced lifestyle and provides an opportunity for like minded people to come together."
Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham said: "Our National Food and Drink Policy recognises the important role 'grow your own' activities can offer to our environment, health and wellbeing. They also help us to appreciate where our food comes from, and how it grows.
"We are in discussions with the Scottish Allotments and Gardening Society and other stakeholders to help unlock the potential that unused derelict land holds for community growing projects and allotments and are looking to make more land available.
"Our Climate Challenge Fund has already awarded over £700,000 to grow your own food projects since last Autumn. And we'll also publish practical advice and guidance to build capacity for public bodies, communities and individuals to allow them to sign up for Scotland's "food revolution" by providing the means to grow their own fruit and vegetables."
Alan Spinks, 38, has been attending for the last eighteen months. Speaking about his experience he said: "I really look forward to coming to the project every week. It gets me out of the house and there is always something here to do. It has also allowed me to use my bricklaying skills to create an outdoor cooker for everyone to enjoy.
Bridgend Allotment Community Health Project is in Craigmillar Castle Country Park. It is part of Edinburgh City Council's organic allotment site at Bridgend Farm on Old Dalkeith Road, Scotland's first wholly organic allotment.
The project is open to anyone who wants to get fitter, meet other people, learn about growing fruit and vegetables, or who may be recovering from injury, thinking about getting back to work or simply just wanting to sit and watch the garden grow. The staff are trained horticulturists, experienced in working with people of all ages and abilities.
The project offers a drop-in facility, training packages and outreach services.