Knockbreda Community Garden
Tucked behind Knockbreda Methodist Church in South Belfast is a bustling community garden teeming with wildlife and a support system of local people all working together to help nature thrive. Started over two years ago, the community have created a wildlife haven, from its buzzing bee hives to polytunnels packed with fresh fruit and vegetables, all which are donated back to the locals through food banks and at their regular Tuesday morning catch up where there is always a warm pot of tea and a slice of cake on offer.
Through the Aviva Community Fund, they have managed to raise almost £6,000 which will go a long way towards helping them achieve their goal of establishing an outdoor energy efficient gardening facility. RSPB NI spoke to Committee Chair John Warren who shared their hopes for the future ‘the garden already has its own water source thanks to a restored well we found located at the bottom of the garden, and with the installation of solar panels, we are almost at a point of being completely off-grid. The money raised through the Aviva Fund will be used to purchase a battery which can store the electricity generated from the solar panels, enabling us to be entirely self-sufficient’.
A walk around the garden shows just how much love and support has been given to create a space that works for all of the community. I had the pleasure of visiting the garden and getting to meet the people who are maintaining the space. Everywhere you looked, there was someone tending to a part of the garden, whether it was painting the shed, sorting out compost, weeding or plucking produce from the polytunnels ready to be cleaned up and eaten fresh. I left with a bag full of beautiful home grown cucumbers, tomatoes and a slice of cake safely stored for my afternoon tea.
The garden is open to all and offers a welcoming space for parties, get togethers, book clubs or just somewhere for anyone who has a passion for gardening and nature to get together with like minded individuals.
If you would like to learn more about Knockbreda Community Garden, follow them on Facebook @KnockbredaCommunityGarden or pop in Tuesdays from 10am – 1pm.
If you are a community space who is interested in discovering how the Aviva Wild Isles Community Fund can support you and your project, then please visit avivacommunityfund.co.uk