East Ren Climate Action Hub (ERCAH) Small Grants

The group had been working to develop an outdoor classroom. They were keen to purchase two large raised beds (along with the soil needed to fill them) to place beside the outdoor classroom in order to encourage the children to grow more food.

They worked with local community groups, including the Busby Horticultural Society, to help develop the outdoor space and to teach the children how to grow their own food and maintain it once planted. A key aim of the project was to encourage children to spend more time outdoors, which was shown to improve their mental health, among other benefits

The project had the local Eaglesham Nursery children attending regularly to learn how to sow, grow and harvest vegetables, fruit and flowers for the local community. The children who attended learned how to look after the soil and its creatures, and grew items that encouraged wildlife and pollinating insects.

The project looked at the best way to limit slugs eating the vegetables grown in the allotment. The plan had been to increase the number of wild birds and other animals that fed on slugs in the allotment. This was considered the most effective way to manage the slugs and the damage they caused to the vegetables. No chemicals were used in the allotment, as the group believed natural methods were best. By creating a more balanced approach to gardening, they aimed to work more closely with nature, increase biodiversity, and reduce CO₂ emissions.

The community also benefited from the project by being able to pick the fruits, eat them, and make jams. It proved to be a win-win situation. As people did not need to buy as much fruit, less plastic packaging was produced, which reduced the need for recycling—further lowering CO₂ emissions and helping to reduce the overall carbon footprint.

The organisation worked with local partners to raise awareness of recycling green waste and the benefits this brought to the Food Growing Co-operative. It encouraged people to become more aware of the food-growing cycle, helping to reduce costs and increase sustainability, while also educating the community about the environmental impact of certain shop-bought composts.

The project aimed to grow a wide range of fruit and vegetables at the Bank Community Gardens, with the produce being supplied free of charge to local residents. Distribution took place through community establishments such as the Blether Community Food Pantry in Neilston, ensuring that fresh, healthy food was made accessible to those who needed it most.

By producing food locally, the project not only reduced costs for families but also promoted healthier eating and encouraged a stronger connection between the community and the land. The initiative supported environmental sustainability by reducing reliance on shop-bought produce and its associated packaging and transport emissions. At the same time, it fostered a sense of community ownership, cooperation, and pride in working together towards greater local food security.

St Luke’s High School was passionate about raising awareness of climate change and the importance of protecting the local environment for biodiversity. Through its sustainability projects, the school created a dedicated wild space within the school grounds. Within this area, trees were planted and a wildflower meadow was established to provide a home for nature.

The school recognised the importance of learning how to grow food and the benefits this had for the health and well-being of the young people who took part. The main goals were to create a thriving growing space that both young people and the wider community could enjoy, while ensuring that nature was cared for and supported.

With the funding, the school planned to create a section of the wild area specifically for growing fruit and vegetables. Raised beds would be introduced to allow easier access to the growing area for pupils. The funding was intended to be used for the purchase of recycled raised beds from the social enterprise Glasgow Wood and peat-free soil from a local supplier in Barrhead.

The project consistently focused on educating children about food miles, but it also highlighted the environmental impact of importing cut flowers from overseas. The team aimed to be part of the change by educating the wider community about the origins of their flowers, drawing attention to issues such as poor working conditions, the energy required to grow flowers in greenhouses, and the pesticides used.

The project demonstrated that there was no need to rely on imported flowers, as cut flowers could be grown locally in an environmentally friendly way. These locally grown flowers not only attracted wildlife but also enhanced the wider community in Netherlee, creating a rich and biodiverse garden. By focusing on flowers that were “grown, not flown,” the initiative aimed to reduce the carbon footprint and provide sustainable produce for the school’s market garden.

The project brought in a community artist to work with groups of adults and young people to decorate the exteriors of the planters. Propagate worked with the groups to discuss the herbs growing in the beds and how they could be used to support health. The artist explored the biodiversity within the beds and helped the groups make the connection between the importance of biodiversity in nature and its relevance to human health.

The artist delivered two workshops, followed by an installation session, enabling participants to engage creatively while deepening their understanding of the relationship between plants, biodiversity, and wellbeing.

The project involved lifting turf in the church garden to create additional space for planting perennials and shrubs that were attractive to pollinators. This created a focal point for the community to enjoy the garden and provided a dedicated area where community members could leave flowers in remembrance.

A bin store was constructed with a living roof planted with perennial herbs such as hyssop, lavender, rosemary, and thyme. These herbs attracted bees, butterflies, hoverflies, lacewings, and moths, while also having proven uses in cooking and health treatments, supporting activities within the Food Growing Co-operative. Water harvested from the living roof was used to maintain the church garden. The bin store also served as a visible example for the community, demonstrating how sustainable and wildlife-friendly features could be incorporated into local spaces. Clematis was planted to eventually camouflage the bin store, while the living roof remained accessible to wildlife.

Through this project, the community was able to see and enjoy the garden, while a strong ecological approach encouraged pollinators such as bees, butterflies, hoverflies, lacewings, and moths to inhabit the newly created spaces

The project received a gift of seed potatoes from the Glasgow Allotment Forum, some of which had already been distributed. The initiative then focused on engaging people who had never grown their own food or who lacked access to ground for growing.

Through the project, participants learned how easy it could be to grow their own food, the financial benefits of doing so, and the environmental advantages, including reduced food miles. The project also highlighted that conventionally grown potatoes are often sprayed with synthetic pesticides and herbicides unless organically farmed.

Participants were provided with a bag of shop-bought compost, which is biologically inactive, alongside some compost tea made from the Blether compost, which is biologically alive and can be used to inoculate life into the shop compost. Using microscopes, participants observed the living organisms in the compost tea and learned how these organisms contribute to a healthier and more productive potato harvest.

The project aimed to spark interest in the composting process—supported by ongoing free composting workshops run by Blether and Incredible Edible Neilston—as well as in food growing. It also encouraged increased participation in Incredible Edible Neilston’s weekly social gardening sessions, fostering community engagement and sustainable food practices

The project rewilded land adjacent to the existing bog garden and enhanced the bog garden to improve and increase opportunities for wildlife diversity.

The initiative resulted in:

• Mitigation of the negative impact on wildlife caused by the felling of mature trees in the local area.

• Increased understanding and appreciation of biodiversity among participants.

• Greater participation by members in a wider range of activities focused on working with nature.

• A reduction in water pooling in this area of the site

The organisation aimed to create a community garden at the front of the family centre. This space was designed for everyone in the community to grow and enjoy food, while also increasing local biodiversity through the addition of pollinator-friendly plants. Located in a council area with very limited allotment space, the project brought more opportunities to grow food and flowers, and created an enjoyable green space directly accessible to the community.

The key aims of the project were:

• To involve children and families in growing activities within their community. Participants could grow produce to pick and cook at home, with workshops demonstrating how to use the harvest, such as making wild garlic pesto, vegetable soup, or rhubarb crumble.

• To enhance knowledge of climate issues and provide strategies to support families in making informed sustainability choices. This included guidance on composting, using recycled materials in gardening, and reducing waste.