Following a long winter, it’s now time to celebrate the arrival of spring and the abundance of life that the warmer months bring. There’s plenty of action happening at the Broadway Community Gardens including a crop of delicious rhubarb, and all are welcome to come along and help yourself to this tangy treat! Green shoots are emerging from the ground and there is much work to be done to prepare the gardens for the months ahead. The Frome Town Council Rangers are busy making sure the site is as accessible to everyone as possible by improving the path along the back and some other much needed strimming, ensuring all work done helps to encourage wildlife into the gardens, and there’s lots more to be done both on and off site.
The Broadway Community Garden Association Committee are keen to encourage as many local people to be involved as possible. The space is for everyone to enjoy and regular ‘Garden Gathers’ are being held every other weekend between 10am – 12noon. During these sessions, everyone is welcome to come and help with whatever the garden needs, be it clearing weeds, building new beds, or planting new things out. There will always be someone from the committee there to oversee and advise.
Hanna Söderlund, who recently joined the Broadway Community Garden Association as Secretary says: “It’s been fantastic to get involved in such an exciting project in my local community, and everyone has been friendly and welcoming. There is so much potential here, and the opportunity for those involved to really shape the future of this space. I really encourage anyone who is interested in food growing or wildlife to come along to one of our regular Garden Gathers and get stuck in!”
In addition to getting your hands dirty and enjoying the physical side of gardening, the Committee is keen to recruit people to join the working groups including engagement, site management, future organisation, and admin. There is also the need for a new Chair following the incredible John Clarke, who has sadly decided to step down after his years of hard work and dedication to the site. Monetary donations are also greatly appreciated, no matter how small, to help with supplies for the garden including the purchase of compost and water tanks and other basic running costs such as the website.
Fiona Barrows, Councillor for Oakfield Ward and Broadway Community Garden Association Committee member says: “Now that the land has been secured for community by Frome Town Council, we are entering a new and exciting phase for the garden. This year we will slowly be creating and evolving a vision for the garden that reflects the community’s needs and ideas. The garden really is for the whole of Frome, and we want to support and encourage more people to get to know the garden, take stewardship of the land, and if possible, contribute their time and ideas – either by just coming along to one of our Garden Gathers, getting involved in one of our working groups, or even joining the committee.”
Back in February, Frome Town Council bought Broadway Community Gardens to protect this vital green space from potential development – and are currently the freeholders until the land is transferred to Save Our Spaces (SOS) Frome, the Community Benefit Society that also owns Whatcombe Fields, towards the end of the year. For the Gardens to continue to thrive, they need the community to be involved. To find out more go to Broadway Community Gardens, sign up to the newsletter, follow on social media and come along to the next Garden Gathers, Sunday 30th April.
