Grow Borders
We loved attending the most recent Grow Borders meeting in Peebles, here are the highlights...
Tweeddale Youth Action – “Engaging Young People in Local Growing”
A fantastic update was shared by Tweeddale Youth Action, highlighting their innovative work in getting young people involved many activities including cooking and community growing. Their talk covered new approaches to youth engagement, hands-on learning, and the benefits of connecting young people with local food systems. The enthusiasm and creativity of their initiatives were inspiring and sparked a lot of positive discussion. We were also thrilled to learn Food Punks will be opening soon!
Representatives provided short updates from various community gardens across the Borders region:
Cornerstone Connect Hub: Shared progress on their ongoing community involvement and support initiatives.
Peebles Secret Garden: Reported continued growth and community participation, with several new volunteers joining the project.
St Ronan’s Wells Garden: Highlighted recent improvements to accessibility and planting schemes.
Coldstream Community Garden: Shared updates on new collaborations and local engagement opportunities
We heard from the local housing associations and it as heartening to hear about the progress made in their work. They’ve also been exploring potential partnerships to expand access to community growing spaces. Other discussions included shared land use, resident engagement, and sustainability-focused projects for 2025.
Peebles Community Garden
Attendees were treated to an amazing tour of Peebles Community Garden, showcasing the impressive progress made by the team. It was an absolute joy being back there and what a summer they have had!
Key highlights included:
A well-developed composting system supporting closed-loop growing.
The installation of a new polycrub tunnel, extending the growing season and increasing capacity.
Growth in group sessions and community involvement, demonstrating a thriving, inclusive environment.
