The Grow Wild Guide: setting up and running a community growing project - advice from Kew Royal Botanic Gardens

This 80-page guide from Kew Royal Botanic Gardens draws on the experience of more than 400 UK community growing projects supported by Kew since 2014 as part of their Grow Wild project. The guide explains how to create a community garden that helps increase biodiversity and brings social benefits to the community. Topics discussed cover:

How to get started, including: defining your vision, finding volunteers and funding, steps to planning the project such as surveying the site, designing with wildlife in mind and choosing native plants. Some organisations that can advise or provide expertise are also listed.

Motivating, supporting, retaining and finding volunteers, including: ideas for making tasks interesting, giving individuals ownership of specific activities/tasks; making the garden as accessible as possible – overcoming potential physical, economic and social barriers; organising activities and events that introduce the garden to people in the community, e.g. creative, wellbeing and family activities as well as gardening activities

Taking time to record and share your achievements to inspire your volunteers and others with similar aims: photograph the garden, monitor wildlife and celebrate the individuals involved. Ideas for involving the media are also discussed.

Download the publication here