Golden Hill Community Garden

Area characterisation: 

Located in the northern suburb of Bishopston, Bristol. The site was previously unutilized as it was waterlogged and prone to flooding.

Objective: 

To create a community allotment that anyone can visit and is accessible to people with physical and/or mental ill health.

Actions: 

The Golden Hill Community Garden (GHCG) was originally created and run by the Horfield and District Allotment Association, although it is now a Community Interest Company with its own management. Construction began in November 2011, when contractors cleared the area, levelled the ground, built...

Potential impacts/benefits: 

Potential impacts/ benefits

Challenges addressed

Enhancing sustainable urbanisation

Restoring ecosystems and their functions

Developing climate change mitigation

Developing climate change adaptation

Green space management (Including enhancing/conserving urban biodiversity)  

· Increase accessibility to green open spaces 

· Changing image of the urban environment

· Increase biodiversity

· More energy efficient buildings

· Reduce flood risk

Social justice and social cohesion  

· Social inclusion

· Increase social interaction

Public health and wellbeing

· Increase well being

· Increased cultural diversity and biodiversity

Transferability of the result: 

Can be used in new or old developments to improve well-being and social inclusion.

Lessons learned: 

Green infrastructure can become financially self-sustaining through enterprise schemes.

Such projects benefit from being flexible and being guided by the communities that they work with.

Financing: 

Funding came from multiple sources. A grant of £88,000 came from the Local food Fund from the National Lottery. £1000 from Green capital for the pond. £8,800 from Big Lottery Awards for All scheme to build straw bale building. The community garden is now self-funding through holiday clubs.

Contacts: 

Goals:

  • Enhancing sustainable urbanization

NBS Actions:

  • Urban regeneration through nature-based solutions
  • Nature-based solutions for improving well-being in urban areas

Keywords:

Changing image of the urban environment, Human well-being, Land management, Nature-based solutions, Social justice, Temperate, Think Nature, ThinkNature, Urban, More energy efficient buildings, Increase Biodiversity, Increase accessibility to green open spaces, Increased cultural richness and biodiversity, Reduce flood risk, Increase social interaction, Increase well-being, Social inclusion

Client:

Horfield and District Allotment Association and Bristol City Council

Design team:

Horfield and District Allotment Association

Golden Hill Community Garden

Awards:

Green Volunteer Awards: Won Project of the Year and The Diversity Award - 2012.

Runner up for Best Green Initiative by Spark Magazine – 2013.

Finalists in Bristol Green Capital Awards - Community project category – 2015.

Powered by oppla