CCI Environment team work with participants and community groups involved in environmental improvement works, heritage conservation, biodiversity and natural wildlife habitat preservation across over several sites in Lanarkshire. Across these sites the team is involved in carrying out tasks such as: woodland management and maintenance, willow management, path building, path clearance, building and repairing steps and fences, installing raised beds, apple picking, strimming, grass cutting, planting at train stations and building and installing play equipment.
CCI is the co-ordinator of the Clydesdale Food Growing Network. We have community beds available on site at Langloch Farm for free with excess of produce being donated to Clydesdale Food Bank. We also work alongside several other local growers including:
- Forth Eco Polytunnel
- Lanark Grammar School
- Lanark in Bloom
- CCI Gardeners’ Distribution & Exchange Network (DEN)
- Community Beds (including Healthy Valleys, Covey and Lanark Grammar School)
- Larkhall Community Growers
- Lanark Moor Sensory Garden
- 6 x NHS Garden sites
- Clyde Valley Orchard Group
- Castlebank Park Horticultural Site
We hold regular Gardeners’ DEN sessions where you can drop in for gardening advice or to use swap shop along with monthly workshops on topics such as sowing, growing, making wormeries, taking cuttings and wreath making.
The CCI Clydesdale Food Growing Project produced a total of 2827 kilos of fresh fruit and vegetables last year.
3 kilos were donated to the Clydesdale Foodbank to distribute to foodbank recipients, 1088 kilos to the Clyde Valley Orchard Group to produce their apple juice and 146 kilos was used by our staff and participants.
We have a community swap shop set up inside our Gardeners’ DEN polytunnel. Last year alone it resulted in 5982 kilos of goods passing through our swapshop, thus being diverted from landfill. Items such as garden tools, pots, books, seeds, even garden furniture are available at different times. Look out also for our community chests in different locations encouraging local swapping to take place.
