Volunteering Opportunities with Wild Roots

About

Wild Roots Community Garden is nestled between the Ouseburn and St. Ann’s Close, on the edge of Byker and Shieldfield, run by a small team of creatives, facilitators, a community gardener and powered by a passionate community of loyal volunteers. Wild Roots aims to serve a diverse cross section of people, including some of the UK’s most marginalised and disadvantaged communities, by providing educational and recreational experiences, workshops and classes in a biodiverse conservation community garden. Wild Roots began when eco-community garden designer Nick Figgis spotted an empty piece of scrub on the edge of the St. Ann’s close. After securing permission to use the land for a wildlife community garden, a group of volunteers set about turning this inaccessible eyesore into a beautiful garden, designed around principles of Mosaic Habitat creation pioneered by John Little, and the Care Not Capital program in which Nick is trained. Wild Roots brings together rewilding, community and creativity, promoting skill-sharing, community building and nature-based solutions to two of the biggest challenges we face today: the climate crisis and social isolation. Apart from our kitchen garden, the garden is designed to be drought resistant. The garden structures to date have been built using upcycled, reclaimed and environmentally sound materials. We use indigenous planting methods, working with nature to create resilient habitats and increase biodiversity in an urban setting, increasing the environmental service potential of this once unloved area of postindustrial land, famed for its bottle making and potteries. Community is at the heart of what we do, not least in those that come together once or twice a week to nurture the garden, (we have over 130 volunteers in our whatsapp group) but also in the range of engagement activities we host. Over the last couple of years, many collaborations have flourished with local primary schools and SEN centres, charities, art galleries, housing associations and community groups. Wild Roots’ goal is to make the garden accessible and available to those that need it most, whilst nurturing the garden and our truly amazing volunteers who have made Wild Roots possible.