Grow Buddies

Grow Buddies brings local people together to grow food. Whether you have a garden to share or want a space to grow, we want to hear from you!

Who can get involved?

• Garden owners: Anyone with a garden they are willing to share with a local person to to grow food.
• Growers: Anyone who wants to grow food and get to know people in their community.

What will be involved?

• For the Garden Owner: It means setting aside part of your garden this year for food growing. You will be matched with a grower.
• For the Grower: You will be matched with a garden owner. You just need a bit of enthusiasm and a regular commitment.

Are you interested in finding out more?

Please contact us if:

• You have a garden you would be willing to share.
• You have no outdoor space to grow food but would like to.
• You want to get to know your community better and like the idea of gardening.

Becoming a Grow Buddy is a chance to make local connections and enjoy the benefits of gardening. It enables you:

• To grow and access fresh food for a  healthier lifestyle.
• To get to know others in your local area.
• To exchange skills, knowledge, and experience on gardening within the community.

It is not a garden maintenance service. It is about the benefits of gardening and sharing fresh food.

How it works?

If you’re interested in finding out more, we’ll arrange a time to speak to you about Grow Buddies, and find out how it could work for you.

If you’d like to become a Grow Buddy, we’ll ask you to fill in a simple application form and go through an induction to ensure you’re happy to grow in a safe and healthy way.

We’ll match the Grow Buddy growers and garden owners according to where they live and their overall compatibility. We’ll guide and support both to establish a mutually beneficial partnership by making a written agreement, which sets healthy boundaries and shared expectations.

We’ll support Grow Buddy growers to build confidence in growing food through information and opportunities to join training workshops.

Please contact Nicola to arrange a chat about getting involved on 07984 275652 or nicola.scholfield@bedsrcc.org.uk

Some FAQs

Garden owner

• How will I know who is coming to grow in my garden? A meeting will be set up and providing you are both happy, you will both be asked to sign an agreement.
• Will they come and cut my grass or hedges? No, it is not a maintenance service. It is a project for people to make connections and grow food.
• Can they share food they grow with me? Yes, you can work this out together before, or as crops are ready to harvest.
• Will I be expected to let them into my house? No, this is an outdoor project, you can set the boundaries at the beginning.
• Will they dig up the whole garden? No, you will decide how much land you wish to be set aside for the grower to use.
• How can I meet other garden owners like me? We will organise socials for you to get to know each other.

Growers

• Can I use any part of their garden? No, just the bit they have agreed to.
• Can I go at any time? You will agree on the best times with the owner.
• I’ve not much experience of growing, where can I get some advice? We will arrange an introduction to the scheme and provide training sessions that you are welcome to attend. We can also provide you with tools and seeds to get you started.

To find out more, please contact Nicola on 07984 275652 or nicola.scholfield@bedsrcc.org.uk