The council’s Grow Your Own Fund has been shared between 13 groups who work to create gardens and growing spaces for food and food education programmes.
Applications have now been assessed and awarded to groups all over Edinburgh. Amongst the initiatives are Tuk Tuk and Grow, which brings mobile growing and cooking sessions to families across Edinburgh using a tuk tuk bike, and Nuclear Growth, which plans to set up a food growing project on the site of a former nuclear bunker on Corstorphine Hill.
Money will be used for all parts of the projects from buying seeds to paying staff.
Cllr Margaret Graham, Culture and Communities Convener, said: “The standard of applications to the fund was extremely high, and the panel were really impressed – the successful projects demonstrate real creativity and ambition.
“Urban food growing is important for the health of both people and nature. These initiatives will really benefit local communities and the wider city by bringing people together, reducing food waste and supporting biodiversity.”
Ryan Lytwyn, Mental Health Worker with the Pilton Equalities Project, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to receive this funding from the Grow Your Own grant scheme.
“It will make a huge difference to our community garden at the Pilton Equalities Project, allowing us to expand our growing space, install greenhouses, and involve more local people in growing fresh, sustainable food. This support means we can promote food security, improve wellbeing, and help our community take positive action for our climate.”
Full list of successful projects:
- Nuclear Growth, Barnton Bunker Preservation Society (awarded £4640)
- Get Blackhall Growing, Blackhall Parent Carer Council (awarded £2000)
- Tuk Tuk Grow and Go, Edinburgh Community Food (awarded £5000)
- Redhall Grows, Friends of Redhall School (awarded £5000)
- Gate 55 Community Food Growers, Gate 55 Community Centre (awarded £4946)
- Growing Together, Goodtrees Neighbourhood Centre (awarded £5000)
- Longstone Primary Farm and Garden, Parents at Longstone School (awarded £1400)
- Community Garden at Pilton Equalities Project, Pilton Equalities Project (awarded £4000)
- StJV Allotment: a growing space for the campus community, St John Vianney Primary School Charitable Trust (awarded £5000)
- Community Garden and Foraging Trail, St Mary’s Episcopal cathedral (awarded £5000)
- Flourishing Together at Gracemount Medical Practice, Transition Edinburgh South (awarded £5000)
- Garden @ the Snake, Fountainbridge Canalside Community Trust (awarded £2625 – partial funding)
- Edible Garden at The Action Group, The Action Group (awarded £2889 – partial funding)
Photos below are from the Gate 55 Community Food Growers Facebook page here.
