Dundee has a vast amount of unused green space areas on the doorstep of peoples homes. They are prone to littering, fly tipping, are unloved eyesores in communities, and difficult and costly for the council to maintain. 

Backyard Botanicals in Mid Craigie are neighbours who want to make our neighbourhood a happier, cleaner, healthier place to live. We have been given permission to maintain this unused council greenspace on our doorstep, which can only be accessed through houses which are on its boundary. 

We seek to rejuvenate the area with wildflower, plants, and trees which support our eco systems and improve bio diversity. Our vision with our space is to grow food but also to create a tranquil, colourful haven for insects, animals, birds and bees. We hope to grow local flowers and plants that will support insect pollinators that have been in steep decline due to climate change and habitat loss. In addition to the food that we eat, pollinators support healthy ecosystems that clean the air, stabilise soils, and support other wildlife. 

With investment we would like to use two Polycrub tunnels as they are a community based business dedicated to using recycled materials. "They are designed to withstand extremely strong winds, snow, frost, collisions from air born debris and vandalism". Backyard Botanicals invisage growing long term and any investment on equipment needs to be good quality and built to last.

All of the neighbours involved are determined to create a safe space where not only us but our children and grandchildren can be involved from the beginning, learning about growing food, pollinators and the environment that they helped create on their doorstep. 

Where possible, reusing and upcycling second hand items preventing them going into landfill; using natural materials to create a wildlife corridor; sharing of plants, seeds and cuttings through community engagement. 

We would like the grant money to purchase gardening tools, a lawnmower, 2 polycrubs, fruit trees and wood/materials to build raised beds as some of our neighbours have mobility issues. 

With surplus harvest, we aim to food share with family, neighbours, and local food larders.

We hope to inspire others to rejuvenate their greenspaces in their communities. Looking afresh at neglected sites within their neighbourhood could bring new possibilities for a healthier community and a healthier planet by reducing the carbon footprint on the food we eat and also bringing pride back into the areas where we live.

Significant energy efficiency measures in Dundee community space. Improving the efficiency of an 1888 building through insulation (both attic and underfloor), secondary glazing upgrading, installation of destratification fans (to better direct the heat towards the colder floor level from a 7m height) , solar PV panels and heat distribution measures to reduce carbon emissions by 34% and reduce heating output by 25-30%. The benefits of each have been detailed in an audit for the building. Our peak usage is also in the evening, when most of our classes take place. Battery power will allow us to generate and store during quieter daytime sessions to then allow for storage and use in the evening. Insulation will have a direct effect on the cold pool we have in the centre of our main practice space. Radiator heat goes straight up into our 7m vaulted space. With both insulation and 6 destratification fans, we could move an even heat to the lower levels as seen in the Dundee Rep. With soaring energy costs, we would be better able to direct resources towards maintaining our rich family and outreach programme providing a warm, welcoming and comfortable space.

With soaring energy costs, and reduced household income, and the organisation's core funds coming from community classes, we cannot put up class prices without increasing the pressure on our clients. With outreach classes 6 days a week, our free programmes also feel the effects of comfort and well-being in our space. Sharing our message about energy would also be a large part of our comms for the duration and after the project, as the most significant project we have taken on since our inception.

Growing Chrysalis, run by Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) in Dawson Park, are transforming a disused bowling green into a multipurpose community space, directed by local need.

This project will bring people together, encouraging people to form new and stronger connections building community capacity and resilience. The space will create opportunities for the whole community to develop and share skills, to volunteer and to influence and improve this amazing greenspace. In addition SAMH will also deliver targeted sessions with schools, nurseries, colleges, families, intergenerational and disability groups. 

We have already started transforming this unused, chemically treated, barren grass space into a wildlife and human friendly haven. We have set up several no-dig beds, mulched borders with woodchip and created a native wildlife corner, wildflower border and fruit beds, however there is a significant area of lawn that needs further investment.

Our climate change priorities include: -

• Improving biodiversity by taking wildlife friendly approaches e.g., animal habitats, welcoming insects, rewilding, no chemicals.
• Using climate resilient growing approaches e.g., perennial vegetables, drought tolerant plants, saving seeds, rainwater collection/irrigation, organic methods.
• Encouraging recycling, reusing, repurposing and using natural materials wherever possible e.g., seed and plant swaps, plant pot swap, upcycling, buying second hand, sourcing local materials.
• Supporting visitors and volunteers who face increased climate anxiety, with our experience of delivering mental health support.

We need funding that can push our project forwards and enable investment into the space as a shared community resource for years to come:

• Polytunnel/food forest/raised beds/tools - So that local residents of Douglas, West Ferry and the wider Dundee community, whatever their income, have access to affordable organic food on their doorstep. This will reduce their climate impact while providing opportunities to learn skills in climate friendly food growing.

• Composting area - Composting prevents food waste going to landfill while feeding our soil and teaching others how to do this at home.
• Rainwater catchment/water irrigation system – We want to collect our autumn and winter rainwater and store it for the drier Spring and Summer months, reducing reliance on tap water. This includes a self-watering polytunnel using irrigation from rainwater tanks.
• Outdoor kitchen/shelter – having opportunities to gather and share food will encourage people to socialise and discuss individual or collective ways to prevent climate change. With a welcoming atmosphere, sharing a table, preparing food together and eating with fresh ingredients we can demonstrate healthy climate-friendly habits that are accessible.

   

The Climate Heroes Project is centred on community action against climate change. Providing learning spaces and opportunities to protect the environment with the development of a School allotment and Eco classroom at St. Fergus Primary School, Ardler, Dundee.

It will focus on key themes such as energy efficiency, reducing waste and improving biodiversity by increasing awareness and engaging communities and young people in climate change. Our application is based on dialogues with parents, teachers, and pupils of the school. Whilst the main thrust of the proposal aims to address climate change, it also seeks to advance child learning and development. It will also involve the Development Worker of Ardler Village Trust as a link to other local environmental projects and connects well with other community learning initiatives aimed at saving energy and costs amidst a cost of living crisis.

The Eco Classroom - An Outbuilding situated in the school ground that will create an immersive experience for learning and engaging with the environment, whilst promoting wellbeing. Having an outdoor practical space for education makes subjects more vivid and interesting for children to enhance their understanding and aid creativity. We intend to reuse natural resources by harvesting rainwater on the roof and using solar power. We propose to have a mini weather station. By encouraging pupils to use it, we can create a hands-on approach to learning about the ways or climate changes over time.

The School Allotment - A vegetable garden that will provide wellbeing benefits as well as educational benefits to the pupils about sustainability, producing our own food and how to reduce the carbon footprint. the school kitchen, Early Evening Cafe at Ardler Complex and Community Fridge can make use of the produce, making sure nothing goes to waste. Having a link with Ardler Village Trust and access to other projects within the community will enable us to share skills, tools, and experience from community volunteers.

We propose rewilding areas of the playground for nature to regenerate and grow, which will support dwindling populations of native pollinators including bees and butterflies. We intend to enhance the biodiversity in the area by creating more green space, boosting the presence of insects and wildlife. Getting pupils involved in making bird boxes and maintaining the minibeast hotel provides opportunities to learn about how we care for wildlife.

By inspiring school children within the community to be aware and take care of nature and wildlife on our doorstep, we can promote the importance of looking after our environment. The increased green spaces will benefit the environment and our health by improving air quality, connection to nature and mindfulness. They will also function as a sustainable urban drainage system, which will in turn prove to be beneficial with the current climate change challenges. We believe there is a need for community action against climate change now, more than ever. we need to educate people today for a better planet tomorrow. The aim of the Climate Heroes Project is to help achieve this.

Transition Dundee is a community-led social enterprise aiming to make Dundee a more sustainable, happier and healthier place to live through various climate-focussed initiatives. We would like to increase the amount of food saved from going to waste in and around Dundee, through our project 'Dundee West End Community Fridge' and our partnership with the Dundee Community Food Network (DCFN). The Community Fridge has been running since July 2019 and has so far saved over a whopping 220 tonnes of food, approximately 500,00 meals, and the same carbon reduction as planting and growing 11,500 trees! While our project is primarily about reducing food waste, it also offers dignified access to food for those in need because of the environmental focus and the fact that EVERYONE is encouraged to use it. We work closely with the DCFN and would like to share the extra food saved with the 25+ exisitng food projects, ensuring the food is spread across the whole city and many more people are able to benefit from it. We know there is much more food out there to be saved (and many more people in need of food given the cost of living crisis), so with this project we aim to double the amount of food we currently redistribute and there are three ways in which we would like to tackle this:

A Gleaning Group

The Gleaning Network is a network of community groups, organisations and farmers all over the UK who are working to reduce farm-level food waste. The Network exists to bring together and empower communities, enabling them to salvage surplus food left on farms; food which can then be redistributed through the DCFN, primarily benefitting those on a low income. There is not yet a formal Gleaning Group in Scotland, so Dundee would be the first – and we are in a prime position geographically between the produce-rich areas of Perthshire, Angus and Fife.

There are many reasons why farms have surplus – systematic overproduction, cosmetic standards, order cancellations, worker shortages and unpredictable weather. And it’s not always just farms – the Community Fridge team has often been asked to go and pick fruit trees from private gardens in Dundee when the owners are unable which we are not usually able to do. Tthe extra capacity would allow us to help reduce this waste too. The Gleaning Network provides a tried-and-tested toolkit for making sure our supervised visits to local farms are safe, fun and a worthwhile opportunity for local people to learn about where their food comes from, why waste reduction is important for the climate emergency and feed their community.

Electric Van

A second-hand electric van would allow the Community Fridge team to be more flexible and able to collect larger donations from supermarkets and other businesses when the offers are made, as well as to reduce our carbon footprint (by eliminating petrol/diesel car journeys currently made by our collection team). The van would also be used to collect and distribute the large volumes expected from gleaning days – meaning we would be able to take food to other projects in a sustainable way.

Inreased Community Engagement

There is increasing concern from our community about the impact of food waste and we would like to hold more workshops/events to show how small changes can make a big impact to the planet, our health and our bank balance. We would work in partnership with community groups and other organisations across the city to deliver this to reach as many people as possible!

Watch our VIDEO to learn more about the project here

Campy Growers are transforming a derelict space into Dundee's biggest community food garden: the Vegetarium, with the potential to produce tonnes of fresh, local food to benefit the whole city.

As food costs increase, we need to build resilience, security and the skills to grow our own food, in response to the worsening climate crirsis.

We are both mitigating emissions, as well as adapting to future food shortages and at the same time boosting biodiversity.

So, over the next year, we will:

• Expand our growing space for food production.
• Provide fresh produce to community projects.
• Deliver workshops to teach people across the local area how to grown food.
• Deliver cooking skills classes, lunch clubs and other food and health-based activities.
• Inspire, excite and welcome families to connect with vibrant, fresh, local food.
• Produce vegetable seedlings to support Dundee residents and other community gardens to grow veg.
• Grow high-quality, nutrient-dense food using sustainable agro-ecological methods.
• Minimise carbon emissions and maximise carbon absorption through shortening supply chains, composting onsite waste and building soil carbon.
• Enhance biodiversity, soil restoration and carbon drawdown.
• Guide individuals throught their horticulture journey by upskilling and training  them.
• Regenerate the soil, which has been neglected and compacted ovber the years, with the use of green manure and manual tools.
• Help connect poeoplpe with their local food grower. Increase knowledge of and participation in environmentally sustainable land activities buy providing opportunities for peopole to be involved with the site, such as Community Supported Agriculture membershio, volunteer days, pick-your-own, open days and stalls.

As a volunteer-led organisation, over 2 growing seasons, having rejuvenated the soil, we have produced approx 3 tonnes of vegetables that have been donated across the city to individiuals, families and charities.

We are looking to employ a full-time gardener and opart-time Project Coordinator to develop this work and allow us to reach our full potential for the benefit of the whole city.

We are also seeking funds for the propagation of our vegetable seedlings and the upcycling of two abandoned shipping containers into usable storage.

Our success supports the success of other food projects across the city.

Watch our VIDEO to find out more about our project!

We are a local community group who have recently taken over the redundant bowling green in Fairmuir Park, in order to establish a community garden.  Thanks to the support of the Dandelion Project (Unexpected Gardens) we have made an excellent start with the community garden.  However, we have much wider ambitions and want to build on the work already started .

Our aims for the future cover two of the criteria in the Climate Fund - Resilience and Community Engagement.

We want to make the garden more productive by growing larger amounts of fruit and vegetables which could donate to those in need and the local community larder.

We want to encourage more people to grow their own food in order to reduce the carbon footprint of the food we eat.

We wish to support our eco systems and bio diversity through types of plants we grow and the gardening methods we use. this would include recycling of green and brown waste through  composting , the use of natural fertilisers; supporting a natural pond and providing homes for birds and bugs.

We hope to increase the numbers of people in the wider community who use the garden by providing a wide range of workshops and community activities.

Dandelions began community engagement by providing free lunches once a week through the summer and we would like to continue this activity.

To achieve our aims we would like to apply for funding for materials to build more planters for the garden and polytunnel, cold frames, a tea/coffee shack and  a mud kitchen for the children. These are the materials we have asked for the immediate future.  We have put in three quotes which vary between a total of £10-12000.

Thank you for considering our bid.  

NO CHILD IN DUNDEE SHOULD GO HUNGRY

Dundee Bairns was formed as a community project in 2016 and was formally constituted as a charity in May 2017. We provide free breakfasts and lunches during the school holidays and free hot 2-course evening meals through our Tea Club during the winter months. Throughout the year we also deliver Christmas food hampers and vouchers, gifts for children, Easter eggs, cooking packs for families and schools and children's activity packs. Over the last 6 years we have provided over 450,000 meals to children in Dundee. In addition, through our Cosy Bairns project we have provided new clothes and footwear to just under 6000 children during the winters of 2020,2021 and 2022. All the aforementioned services rely on our staff and volunteers using their own cars. During the summer holidays we have had to rent vans due to the extremely high volume of meals we provide on certain days, but for almost all our services we currently rely on our volunteers and staff using their own vehicles. 

In 2017 when we started the Tea Club meals, we provided them to 5 Primary Schools, and now in the period October 2022 to March 2023, we will be providing over 1,000 hot meals per week, spread over 18 locations. 

The grant we are seeking from the Dundee Climate Fund would be used to purchase an electric van. This will reduce the requirement for our staff and volunteers to use their own vehicles and reduce the carbon footprint of the charity.  

An electric van is ideal for Dundee Bairns as our daily mileage will be no more than 100 miles per day, and therefore a single charge will suffice each day. It is likely that the annual mileage could be as high as 25,000 miles per year, and we believe that we would be best served by purchasing an electric van.  The quotes we have received to date equate to a cost of £24,000.

 If we are succesful with our application there are 3 main benefits. Firstly, having our own electric vehicle will allow the charity to provide our meals, children's clothing/footwear and other items for schools and children in a more cost effective manner. Secondly, it will reduce the demands made on our staff and volunteers to use their own vehicles and finally it will significantly reduce our carbon footprint. A truly win,win,win situation. 

Wellbeing Works is a local mental health charity based in the Wellgate Centre.  The Community Toolbox is their new project.  It is a library of things people in and around Dundee can borrow instead of buying for decorating, DIY, gardening, outdoor events, cleaning, baking, entertaining and more.  This means that people who can't afford to buy these tools and equipment are able to access them, and as a community we are reducing our carbon footprint by borrowing instead of buying items that ultimately end up in landfill sites. We are also building a culture where we share our skills and resources.  Check out the Community Toolbox at dundee.myturn.com 

WHO ARE WE

The community-led Maxwell Centre and Garden has been at the heart of the Coldside area for over 20 years. We have an outstanding reputation nationally for delivering a holistic project for wellbeing through support services, youth work and our community garden and outreach. 

We are determined to make our communities stronger, more resilient and adaptable to change but also build the capacity to change our local environment for the better, have important conversations about climate and social change and demonstrate how this can be achieved at the neighbourhood level across Dundee.

OUR PROJECT

We will make food growing more accessible to everyone in Dundee to learn and experience environmental action first hand in people’s own neighbourhood in three ways: 

1. A NEW DUNDEE FOOD GROWING MAP and EVENT CALENDAR

• Over 30 community growing spaces to visit.  Access to 100s of events to attend and volunteering opportunities throughout the year. 
• Community Gardens will increase their capacity and visibility through the Dundee Food Growing / Community Garden Network, training and support. 
• Volunteers will gain from better physical and mental health and local biodiversity will be improved. 
• Neighbours will benefit from gaining new skills and friendships and access free local produce, increasingly important with the cost of living crisis and given that £1 out of every £10 we spend is on food and that 30% of greenhouse emissions in the UK are from food production.

2. REVAMPED FOOD GROWING TOOL AND SEED LIBRARY

We aim to save people money and reduce waste and carbon emissions through these activities and increase the food growing spaces and their productivity across our city.

• Borrow tools and books to get growing your own food
• Free access to one-to-one advice,
• Free seeds, seedlings, cuttings and plants and
• 40+ free weekly workshops.

3. YOUTH-LED FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE EVENTS

• Each month we will focus on different climate-related topics to enable and support our community to reflect, learn and take action for a greener and fairer Dundee. 
• We’ll celebrate food, nature and community through free gigs in the garden, films, food, games, conversations for change, etc. 

LONG TERM VISION

We are committed to sustaining this project beyond this funding opportunity.

There is a strong momentum amongst community growing spaces, with our new Dundee Food Growing / Community Gardens Network and Grow Dundee group that will keep engaging people in Dundee.

This project is a unique opportunity to deliver and promote, through experience and example at community gardens, many of the objectives laid out in Dundee’s Climate Action Plan and the 20-minute Neighbourhood concept for sustainability.