Eleanor Burnham meets with Llangollen's Garth Hillside Community Garden at the Senedd to launch Wales gardening and farming map (Eleanor Burnham )

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Eleanor Burnham <info@eburnham.org.uk>

Eleanor Burnham meets with Llangollen's Garth Hillside Community Garden at the Senedd to launch Wales gardening and farming map

June 11, 2010 2:00 PM

Eleanor, Catherine Veasy & Isabell Wain from the Garth Hillside Organic Garden & Katie Jones of Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens A dual-language map which highlights community gardening and farming projects across Wales was launched at a special celebration event at the Senedd in Cardiff. The event featured exhibitions from some of the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens including Garth Hillside Community Garden in Llangollen.

At the launch, North Wales Liberal Democrat Assembly Member Eleanor Burnham said "There has been an explosion of interest over the last two years in creating green spaces in Wales, due to concerns over issues such as food miles, climate change and healthy eating. The map acts as a guide to many of these projects which are open to visitors. The map also features associated groups such as community orchards, school growing projects, community-managed allotment gardens and community supported agriculture schemes.

The colourful A2 size map contains showcases 45 groups, but Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens Development Co-ordinator for Wales Katie Jones, said this was just the tip of the iceberg:

"As well as the groups on the map, there are more than 130 groups not yet members of FCFCG, plus many more new and fledgling groups being set up all the time. Our job is to support their work and advocate on their behalf to the Welsh Assembly. This map is the first of its kind in Wales and marks a major milestone for community farming and gardening here. It highlights the phenomenal amount of interest there is in these community-led activities in Wales."

Katie added: "Not only will this map be useful for people wanting to visit these type of projects or get involved with activities, events, training and volunteering opportunities, but it also enables people thinking of setting up a group to get in contact with someone in their region who has already done it. And there are also pointers to where all these kind of groups can get information and support from FCFCG itself."

The map will be distributed to all of FCFCG member projects across Wales, a wide range of third sector organisations, including all voluntary councils, communities first organisations etc, Local Authorities, schools, libraries and Tourist Information Centres. .

Eleanor Burnham continued "The Map of Community farms & gardens in Wales, really gives us a visual representation of how much community gardening is going on in Wales at the moment. It's an exciting imitative and I hope people will feel inspired to visit their local project and get involved."

ENDS