Renfrewshire Environmental Trust's Blog

We have identified the need to support residents in North and Central Paisley to be able to spend time relaxing and gaining confidence as well as learning gardening skills and connecting with nature. Local residents can benefit from improved physical, mental and emotional wellbeing by accessing gardening activities within local greenspaces. This Spring, we are supporting learn about herbs being grown, harvested and used in herbal teas and healthy eating cookery activities.

22 new raised wooden boxes are being provided for growing herbs for local open spaces/community centres by the Unpaid Work Team. Thanks to support from the Robertson Trust and Paisley North, West & Central Local Partnership.

Read Full Post »

In the last 6 years, the Spuds for Buddies has been successful in working with local schools, local nurseries, and several community groups to raise awareness of healthy eating and improve gardening skills in the Paisley North and Central area. Potatoes have been grown, harvested and taken by children for use in healthy eating cookery activities or for their family meals.

This year, the project is continuing across growing spaces in schools, nurseries and community groups thanks to funding from LUSH and the Rozelle Trust. The seed potatoes and compost has been distributed in the last week.

The project will assist in tackling community safety, social isolation, and health issues within the Paisley North, West and Central areas by providing workshops and resources targeted at inequalities. New learning opportunities will be developed in horticulture, the food cycle, food production, and healthy eating through gardening activity. It improves access to a safe outdoor learning environment in local greenspace.

Read Full Post »

In the last year, we have been working with children and young people who have highlighted how much they enjoy eating strawberries. Thanks to funding of £500 from the Renfrewshire Climate Action Network Hub, we are increasing the strawberry patches in growing spaces across North and Central Paisley.

This month, we are expanding the provision of strawberry plants and through community gardening activities enabling local nursery children, school pupil groups and parents to enhance their understanding of where food comes from and how to care for their local environment.

This project will promote the daily consumption of fresh fruits by weeding, planting, and harvesting of strawberries. It will support learning by children and young people about the implications for their health and wider environmental sustainability of growing fresh fruits. Small groups of young gardeners are using container gardening in local primary schools and nurseries in North and Central Paisley. The strawberry patch project creates a safe outdoor space to nurture wellbeing and positive mental health for children and their parents.  

Thanks to support from Renfrewshire Climate Action Network Hub.

Read Full Post »