Nottingham, United Kingdom
City population: 643933
Duration: 2001 – ongoing
Implementation status: Ongoing
Scale: Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Project area: unknown
Type of area: Previous derelict area
Last updated: October 2021

Arkwright Meadows Community (AMC) Garden is situated in the heart of inner city Nottingham, Prior to 2001, the site was a disused, derelict and rubbish-strewn piece of land. In 2001, a group of Meadows residents came together to improve this derelict piece of land and work started to create the infrastructure of the community garden. The area was transformed into a green oasis and outdoor learning environment. (ref. 8)

AMC Gardens winter
AMC Gardens
https://www.amcgardens.co.uk/activity/growing-power/

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Community gardens and allotments
  • Community gardens
  • Horticulture
  • Blue infrastructure
  • Lakes/ponds

Key challenges

  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Regeneration, land-use and urban development
  • Conversion of former industrial areas
  • Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
  • Social cohesion
  • Social interaction
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Enabling opportunities for physical activity
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation
  • Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
  • Sustainable consumption
  • Sustainable production

Focus

Transformation of previously derelict areas

Project objectives

Arkwright Meadows Community Garden is a thriving community project. The aim was to improve and transform a derelict and rubbish-strewn area into a green space for local people to use for the benefits of a 'safe space' for e.g. family events; place for learning/education; and opportunity to by freshly grown fruit and vegetables. (Ref. 1, 2, 8)

Implementation activities

Transforming the derelict area into green space included measures such as planting orchard trees, native hedging, building an eco-building (for events and training) and over the years the Gardens have further developed into an oasis in the heart of the Meadows, with residents regularly coming to buy vegetables, hundreds of attendees at events and numerous daily visitors. Additionally, a pond for wildlife is created (which is home to “frogs and pond creatures”). (Ref. 1, 2, 8)

Main beneficiaries

  • Local government/Municipality
  • Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)
  • Non-government organisation/Civil Society
  • Citizens or community groups
  • Marginalized groups: Refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants

Governance

Management set-up

  • Led by non-government actors

Type of initiating organisation

  • Non-government organisation/civil society
  • Citizens or community group

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Dissemination of information and education
  • Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
  • Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
  • Co-management/Joint management
  • Citizen oversight (e.g. boards, advisory)

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

AMC Gardens is a non-profit organisation. Arkwright Meadows Community Gardens was created by local Meadows residents (ref. 8). AMC Gardens collaborates with different partners, e.g. local schools and Big Lottery Fund (ref. 2).

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Unknown
... a national policy or strategy? Unknown
... a local policy or strategy? Unknown

Financing

Total cost

Unknown

Source(s) of funding

  • Other

Type of funding

  • Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

Type of non-financial contribution
  • Provision of goods
  • Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
  • Citizens (e.g. volunteering)

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased green space area
  • Increased conversion of degraded land or soil
  • Restoration of derelict areas

Economic impacts

  • Increase in agricultural production (for profit or not)
  • Generation of income from NBS

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Improved social cohesion
  • Fair distribution of social, environmental and economic benefits of the NBS project
  • Improved access to urban green space
  • Increased opportunities for social interaction
  • Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
  • Increased access to healthy/affordable food
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
  • Education
  • Increased support for education and scientific research

Type of reported impacts

Achieved impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Unknown

Presence of indicators used in reporting

No evidence in public records

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

Yes

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No

References

1. AMC Gardens. 2017. Welcome to Arkwright Meadows Community Gardens. Available at: Source link ( Accessed: 16 July 2020)
2. AMC Gardens. 2014. Our story. Arkwright Meadows Community Gardens. Available at: Source link (Accessed 16 July 2020)
3. AMC Gardens. 2014. Garden and produce. AMC Gardens. Available at: Source link (Accessed 16 July 2020)
4. AMC Gardens. 2014. Education and training. AMC Gardens. Available at: Source link (Accessed: 16 July 2020)
5. Nottingham City Council. 2009. Allotment Action Plan. Draft. (attached in documents) (Accessed: 16 July 2020)
6. Farm Garden. (2017). Nottingham Growing Network. Federation of City farms & Community gardens. Available at: Source link (Accessed: 16 July 2020)
7. Columbia in Bloom. (2020). RHS Community Gardening News Issue 2. Available at: Source link (Accessed: 16 July 2020)
8. Localgiving. (n.d.) Arkwright Meadows Community Gardens. Accessed 16 July 2020. Available at: Source link
9. BBC Children in Need. (n.d.) Arkwright Meadows Community Gardens. Accessed 16 July 2020. Available at: Source link
10. The Telegraph UK (2013) Lottery funding keeps communities in good health. Accessed 16 July 2020.
11. RHS (2013) RHS Britain in Bloom. Royal horticultural Society. (Not available in 2020)