With more and more people interested in and participating in food production, and with growing at home at an all-time high due to COVID-19, now is a great time for small horticultural...
SF&G Coronavirus COVID -19 special update
Our latest news pages generally contain regular updates on our work, funding and income, land issues, Government policy, new initiatives, valuable research and, sometimes, a few quirky stories that might tickle your interest.
However, due to the Coronavirus COVID -19 outbreak we will be posting regular dedicated updates over the next few months.
As the situation develops we want you to know that we are here
We know that this will be a very difficult time for our members and for all those working in the sector.
To help support you we will be sharing:
- Useful resources, links, and advice - click on the 'Coronavirus COVID - 19 - resources, links and news' story below
- Ideas that helps bring people and communities together – including ‘Growing Well Together’ gardening ideas over social media
- Inspirational and positive stories to help people connect and support eachother across social media
We are not in the position to offer specific or medical advice on Coronavirus COVID-19. Refer to NHS and Government advice for this, links to which are included in our 'Coronavirus COVID - 19 - resources, links and news' piece below.
We want to hear from you
- Tell us what challenges you are facing so that we can lobby on your behalf
- What are you doing to manage the situation? Are you live streaming courses? Do you have any resources or policies that could help others?
We would like to collect this content and share it with others, enabling the community of our membership to support each other.
Please email: marketing@farmgarden.org.uk
-
Grants available for small horticultural businesses in Walessf-amp-amp-g-news -
Social Farms & Gardens are delighted to announce that The Prince of Wales has chosen to extend his Patronage of the charity. The Prince of Wales has always taken a keen interest in our work to support communities to farm, garden and grow together...
sf-amp-amp-g-news -
Read our newly published blog in the Urban Agricultural Magazine today! In collaboration with the University of Kent, and as part of the FEW Meter programme, the blog examines how when the UK went into lockdown in March, many community gardens stepped...
community-growing -
This year the London Harvest Festival will be taking place online – so everyone can join in!
This year we are inviting the world to participate in the buzzing life of London’s city farm and garden community by going online.
On Saturday...
community-growing -
Wales ‘grows for it’ with £130,000 investment in more allotments - Welsh Allotment Regeneration InitiativeA new support package designed to increase allotments in areas of Wales where they most needed has been announced today by Social Farms &...
community-growing -
'Tyfu Fyny' Wales Rural Development Programme Report publishedOur 3-year Rural Development Programme funded project ‘Tyfu Fyny’ has now come to an end. It’s been a fantastic 3 years and during that time we have got to know the community growing...
community-growing -
'The Resilience of the Community Growing Sector in Northern Ireland' Report has been published this week and is now available to view.
The report was completed by Social Farms & Gardens in June 2020 during the Covid 19 pandemic and ...
sf-amp-amp-g-news -
Over the past few weeks our COVID-19 member impact survey has already collected a huge number of responses from our members across Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. The responses received so far indicate that across the country members have been...
sf-amp-amp-g-members -
We are all facing an unprecedented period of difficulty and disruption caused by the current coronavirus crisis. As the situation develops we want you to know that we are here. We have developed a dedicated Corona COVID -19 section of our website...
research-and-policy-news -
As part of our 40th Anniversary celebrations we’ve partnered with experienced and specialist insurance broker, McClarrons to deliver a special event to help these essential community spaces to secure the right insurance. The event has been postponed...
sf-amp-amp-g-members -
On Monday this week our very own SF&G Wales Manager Gary Mitchell (also of South and Mid Wales Cave Rescue Team, and Assistant Chair to the British Cave Rescue Council) was awarded a Royal Decoration of the Kingdom of Thailand at a ceremony in the...
sf-amp-amp-g-news -
As part of our 40th Anniversary, we are celebrating the breadth, variety and impact of our incredible members through sharing 40 stories with a different theme each month.
Our first story comes from Scotswood Natural Community Garden. ...
sf-amp-amp-g-members -
This year Social Farms & Gardens are celebrating 40 years of farming, gardening and growing together.
2020 will be packed full of activities to celebrate the 40th. From monthly events UK wide including the European Federation of City Farms...
sf-amp-amp-g-news -
We’re celebrating 40 years of supporting communities to farm, garden and grow together. This is your chance to recognise the local groups and organisations that are improving the health and wellbeing of individuals, communities and the environment...
sf-amp-amp-g-news -
London culture magazine 'Huck' has its finger on the pulse for community matters in London. This month they interviewed Social Farms & Gardens for their article 'Force of nature: the battle to save London’s green spaces'.
Writer Jessica...
sf-amp-amp-g-news -
Great news for the Social Farms & Gardens project ‘Growing Resilience’ this month, as additional funding from the lottery is confirmed. This important funding will enable the charity to expand the project, supporting even more community gardens in...
community-growing -
We are delighted to announce that Social Farms & Gardens has been selected to lead the 'Growing Care Farming' Project.
This project is part of the £10m Children and Nature Programme being supported by Defra, funded by the Department of...
sf-amp-amp-g-news -
For many people arriving to seek asylum in the UK, community growing spaces can offer vital and unique opportunities to find community, improve mental and physical health and to learn and share skills. These resources have been designed to encourage...
useful-resources -
Social Farms & Gardens has contributed to a Defra consultation on the future of food, farming and the environment in England, emphasising the role that city farms, care farms and community gardens already play in benefitting people and places -...
research-and-policy-news -
Growing Better Lives 2018, a conference exploring and celebrating the links between community growing, care farming, health and wellbeing took place in Manchester in April 2018, sponsored by The Mayfield Partnership.
Aimed at community growing...
sf-amp-amp-g-news -
CLAS Cymru, the community land initiative managed by the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens, has helped support a consortium of locally based volunteers, community enterprises and organisations in Newtown, Powys, to secure a £1.1 million...
sf-amp-amp-g-members -
Popular picture book character Stick Man is teaming up with local community groups across the UK to encourage urban children to get outdoors and explore the natural world. Fun-filled activity trails have been opened at five community growing sites...
education -
Farmer and TV presenter Adam Henson called on the agricultural sector to support the use of the farming environment in education to help create the next generation of people entering rural careers, at a recent conference to promote school farms and...
education -
A new Natural England-funded project to demonstrate the enormous benefits of outdoor learning to children and develop a model(s) of using ‘hub’ schools to support and deliver teacher training, is now available.
The project, which is funded by...
education -
Urban green spaces, including city farms and community gardens, are not being used enough to help people living with dementia and their carers, according to a new report from Natural England.
In one of the biggest surveys of its kind so far,...
care-farming-and-green-care -
A major new report shows compelling evidence that the ‘green care’ offered by many Federation of City Farm and Community Gardens members can help people with mental ill-health and contributes to a reduction in levels of anxiety, stress and depression...
research-and-policy-news -
A new study has shown that just 30 minutes of gardening a week has a beneficial effect on mental health.
Researchers from Westminster and Essex universities questioned 269 gardeners and non-gardeners with the former describing their feelings...
community-growing -
A new report produced by FCFCG shows that involvement in community growing can act as a ‘powerful tool’ to help vulnerable people, bring communities together and encourage people to adopt greener and healthier behaviours.
FCFCG has produced a...
community-growing -
A Glasgow University study on community gardens in the city, including three Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens (FCFCG) members, has outlined their positive effect on individuals and communities.
Glasgow’s Community Gardens:...
community-growing