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Car Parks to be Transformed into Urban Orchards

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Car Parks to be Transformed into Urban Orchards


Community groups are taking a grassroots approach to bring fresh produce to the East Marsh in the drive against rapidly rising food prices.


Underused space on Garibalidi Street car park is being transformed into a new urban orchard and community garden that will feed and educate local people, as well as serve as a new communal green space.


In newly installed planting areas and raised beds, bushes for soft fruits, potatoes, carrots, salad, herbs and brassicas, such as cauliflower and cabbage will all be planted, along with 35 fruit trees which are being planted by North East Lincolnshire Council. The Council is also planting additional trees on land next to the nearby Albion Street playground.


Food grown in the community garden will provide a steady supply of produce for people in the neighbourhood, local food banks, and other public food providers. It will also be used in a new community kitchen, found within the Salvation Army building opposite the transformed car park, where there are facilities to teach people cooking skills.


The urban orchard and community garden will give people the opportunity to plant, grow, pick, and cook their own food all within a few metres of the garden – and maybe occasionally eat together too. Encouraging people to grow, prepare and cook their own food is one of the main drivers behind the project.


A collection of community-minded people and organisations, including Mary Vickers, the Community Food Co-ordinator in North East Lincolnshire, The Salvation Army, St Andrew’s Church, the Rock Foundation, the Fisherman’s Mission, as well as others, are collaborating to grow and cultivate the garden, with financial support from a grant of £85,000 from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, awarded to North East Lincolnshire Council.


Mary Vickers, Community Food Co-ordinator in North East Lincolnshire, explains: “Part of my work as Community Food Co-ordinator is to help our variety of local community food providers (food banks and hot food kitchens) to work together and collaborate as often as they can.  Another important aspect of my role is to encourage and support projects which help individuals and communities to move away from reliance on free food parcels.  This exciting project works with both aims at the same time.


“Providing an opportunity for people to learn to grow at least some of their own food is immensely valuable.  Simply working together in the open air is known to increase wellbeing.  Adding this to the provision of practical growing and cooking skills can greatly increase both individual and community resilience.  It can also be fun!


“An added aspect here is the range of different community groups who wish to be involved, all of whom will bring their own dimension to the project, as well as enabling wider involvement into as yet unreached groups within the local area.  We have a working title for all the community growing projects in North East Lincolnshire - #CommunityGrowingNEL.  This highlights that communities who grow things together also grow together themselves.”


Major Alison Gardner, church leader at Grimsby Salvation Army, said: “This project will provide many things, not only fresh produce for people who are struggling with the cost of living and reliant on food banks, but a peaceful place where people can sit among the trees in East Marsh, enjoy a picnic and view the dock tower.


“As a church and charity, part of our mission is ‘care for creation’, the idea of protecting and caring for our planet.  The creation of this garden represents all that is good in our community, encouraging green space and providing a basis on which happiness, health, and friendship can be built and where every person can play a part and contribute.  It will be somewhere that children and older people can work and rest together with dignity, where those who plant can harvest, cook and eat their produce.


“The Salvation Army recently reopened its church and community centre in East Marsh where we have a thriving coffee shop and programme of activities. There’s a real energy about the place at the moment and this community garden will only add to that.” 


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