Community Gardening
In February and March 2011, ECBA ran a Community Gardener training programme to train folk up with all of the resources and skills to become fully fledged community gardeners in their local neighbourhood. The programme was funded by Scottish Natural Heritage.
We hope continue the programme through 2011-12 but do not have any courses planned as yet due to lack of funding. We have provided information about the programme below. If you would be interested in participating please contact us and we will send out information as it becomes available:- courses@ecba.org.uk We want to train folk with all of the skills they need to set up new projects, or to enrich the backgreen projects they are already involved in. We also want the participants in this Community Gardener training to contune working together after the training has finished, to form a community gardener network. This group will continue to support each other’s projects with advice and practical support.
Course Content
The training will be facilitated by ECBA staff, using a participatory approach. Participants will learn from each other's varied experiences to develop creative plans for their backgreens. Across the four sessions, participants will cover the key aspects of planning, setting up and sustaining Community Backgreen projects.
The session outlines:
Session 1: The Community Backgreen Model & Getting Folk Involved (12th Feb)-Discssing the Community Backgreen Model
-Getting Folk Involved, increasing participation and publicising your project
Session 2: Design Issues & Creating a Site Development Plan (26th Feb)-How to prepare a development plan for a site
-How to evaluate your project
Session 3: Creating and Expanding your Community Backgreen (12th Mar)-How to deliver a development plan for your site: Planning and delivering blitz workshops, accessing support and making funding applications
-Where to obtain resources, tools, grants
-Getting permission
Session 4: Running a Community Backgreen Group & Establishing a Community Gardener Group (26th Mar)-How to run a Community Backgreen Group: Community Meetings,
communication, being open and democratic, maintaining participation.
-How to run a ning website, and get people involved
-Creating a community gardener network: how can we work together and support one another?
Registration and Attendence
To express interest in future courses:
email courses@ecba.org.uk, or
call 0131 248 2698 Before the training, there will be an initial telephone interview to find out which skills each participant has already, and what they do not yet know about. The training programme will be tailored to the specific needs and requirements of the group.
Who is this training for?You may be a lifelong gardener, or perhaps you've never picked up a spade. You might have a backgreen that you would like to regenerate into a beautiful community space, or you might like to go out and find some land in your local area that needs some care and attention. In all of these cases we would love to have you as an ECBA Community Gardener. There are no specific skills required to take part in the programme. All you need is plenty of enthusiasm for getting some community gardening action happening in your area, and a willingness to learn from and contribute to the group.
Resources and SupportThe training will focus on building links within the group of trainee Community Gardeners, so they can support one another's community gardening projects as they get going, with advice, resources and practical labour. The ECBA staff will also be on hand, providing advice and guidance along the way.
The training programme will be accompanied by a full set of supporting resources, with information on legal frameworks, template publicity and pointers for where to go for tools, materials and funding etc.