Space To Grow is a community growing project hosted by Lloyds Banking Group in Edinburgh, which aims to use outdoor and indoor spaces, at various business sites, to enable employees and communities to grow food and flowers.
Business Case Study: Lloyds Banking Group
The Space To Grow project started in 2014 at the offices on Morrison Street in Edinburgh. Lloyds Banking Group supported Rose and colleagues to get the garden up and running. Local community groups, including Tollcross Primary across the road and The Grassmarket Community Project, were approached and got involved and the project has continued to evolve as the group learns more each year.
Over the last two years, two more sites in Edinburgh hnow sprung up, with each site adapting to their own circumstances and Rose is supporting colleagues in other UK sites to establish their own growing projects. They are learning together how to make the best of the sites, piloting the use of indoor space as well as outdoor.
Key to success is an employee champion and the support from Lloyds Banking Group.
Rose says “Space to Grow would not be possible without a supportive employer. We met to get permission to use the space and to set guideline and they have also provided some money from the volunteering fund to get the garden started. Once we got up and running, we just got on with it but the company continues to support new gardens and add on projects. With everyone so busy with work, and the vagaries of the weather and growing cycle, we have a small core of volunteers and are always recruiting new participants. Once they join in, all agree that and it is good for our mental and physical health and team working to have gardening activity on the premises.“
Website: https://spacetogrowuk.wordpress.com