A Lot To Explore: Our Guide To Bristol’s Green-Fingered Communities
In addition to its rich history and varied cultural scene, Bristol is also well known for its green-fingered communities, which provide opportunities for both new growers and experienced gardeners to get involved with an array of different projects across the city.
So, whether you’re looking to take on an allotment or you’re keen to learn more about the green spaces and gardens that offer opportunities to become part of your local community in Bristol, here are some initiatives you need to know about.
The Golden Hill Community Garden
Located in Horfield, the Golden Hill Community Garden is open every Wednesday between 10am and 4pm and welcomes absolutely anyone who wants to get involved. There are a variety of different jobs to do around the garden, with special attention given to ensuring that people with different energy levels always have something to get involved with. This is a safe place where everyone is valued, and no one is judged. Plus, everyone has the opportunity to take away some of the day’s harvest as reward for a job well done.
Additionally, the Golden Hill Community Garden runs an after school club, toddler group and kid’s play scheme, a variety of community events, including seed planting and wreath making, and rents out a selection of raised beds to local community groups.
St Werburghs City Farm
Encompassing a one-acre community garden, two-acre small holding, two-acre conservation site and community allotments spanning 13 acres, St Werburghs City Farm is a bit of a green oasis in the heart of Bristol’s inner city.
This incredible community resource welcomes 40,000 visitors annually, as well as 15,000 people who come to enjoy the farm’s facilities and events, and 3,500 service users who gain skills, qualifications and confidence by being part of this much-loved organisation.
There are a variety of volunteering opportunities here, including landscaping and conservation, animal care, cooking and gardening. From tidying raised beds, planting and harvesting, to feeding the animals, creating wildlife pools and cooking healthy meals to share at the end of the session, there are so many ways to get involved, become part of the community, and make a difference.
Windmill Hill City Farm
Spanning a four and half acre site a 20 minute walk to the south of Bristol city centre, Windmill Hill City Farm is a volunteer-driven community project which has become a vital community hub offering recreation, therapy and education for local people.
The aim of the farm is to improve the lives of local people in the community, and it does this through offering an array of facilities and services. As well as offering school visits, there is a children’s nursery on the site, kitchen and community gardens, a variety of farm animals, play areas and picnic spots, various outdoor spaces for hire, a cafe and farm shop, and even a 5-a-side football pitch.
There are many different ways to get involved with this community project, including volunteering at the supper club, supporting outdoor learning, caring for the animals on the site, and offering your gardening expertise.
Redcatch Community Garden
Located in the Knowle area of Bristol, Redcatch Community Garden is a place where local residents can get together to share experiences and skills, socialise, and support both the mental and physical well-being of everyone in the community.
Redcatch Community Garden is always keen to hear from locals who want to get involved and everyone is welcome to have a chat about available and upcoming volunteering opportunities. There are a variety of projects to support pollinators currently ongoing, including creating more than 8,000 square metres of pollinator-friendly habitats throughout Redcatch Park and introducing a wildlife pond to the site.
In addition to the range of volunteering opportunities available, Redcatch Community Garden also hosts pop-up food events, wellbeing sessions, art therapy workshops and a plant shop. There are also weekly sessions that locals can get involved with, including knitting and crochet groups, Tai Chi sessions, and community lunches which are held in the warm canopy.
Kersteman Road Allotments
Often cited as Bristol’s most popular allotment site, the 67 west-facing allotments on Kersteman Road are beautifully maintained by plot holders who have created a real sense of community that is welcoming to all, regardless as to whether you’re a new allotment holder or you’ve been maintaining a plot for decades. The site also offers incredible views across the city, with plot holders at the top of the site even able to see the city of Bath on a clear day.
Although waiting lists are amongst the longest in the UK for the opportunity to take on an allotment in Bristol, most would agree that it’s worth the wait for the chance to have a place to grow your own produce and form life-long connections with other like-minded people in the local community.