Our story
In Pontllanfraith, Caerphilly, a community of volunteers has transformed three acres of neglected and overgrown farmland into a thriving horticultural site.
Groundwork Wales' Routes 2 Life programme, part-funded by Caerphilly County Borough Council, is not only restoring biodiversity to this previously undermanaged site, but also giving adults and young people an opportunity to develop practical horticultural countryside skills, including hedging, strimming, fencing, gardening, pruning, and growing fruit and vegetables.
When we took over the site ten years ago, the only things growing were weeds and blackthorn. This is quite a built-up, post-industrial area, surrounded by main roads and houses, so pollution levels are quite high. There was a need to reinvigorate the biodiversity of the area and enhance this important green space. Today, it is a little oasis.
Many of the volunteers working on site have experienced poor mental health or are socially isolated, so benefit from being outdoors and meeting new people. The project also offers them an opportunity to learn about biodiversity and countryside management, with some gaining Agored Cymru qualifications.
All the food grown on site is gathered and shared. Not only does growing food help volunteers reduce their grocery bills, but while they're on site they are reducing their energy bills, which has been a source of concern for many as prices rise.
Several 'lead volunteers' who have worked on site for a while use their specialist knowledge and skills to mentor other volunteers and young participants. The lead volunteers include a carpenter who helps us run any building activities, a former garden centre owner and qualified horticultural specialist, and another who is well educated in horticulture and countryside management.
Local school pupils are given the chance to learn from the land and understand greener ways of living. Some pupils come to our programme for several weeks to achieve their Duke of Edinburgh Award, or to meet Welsh Baccalaureate requirements, while others visit on school trips as teachers seek to incorporate more outdoor learning activities to meet the new Welsh curriculum's six areas of learning and experience, including humanities. Increasing knowledge of nature and an empathy for the environment through outdoor activities is key to pupils becoming ethical citizens.
Our advice
The greatest resource has been the volunteers who lend their time, support and expertise week after week. Some have expertise in conservation, horticulture, biodiversity and carpentry, and are great mentors and sources of information for other volunteers.
While we cannot open the site to the public full-time because some of our volunteers are vulnerable, we recommend finding ways to welcome the community in and to demonstrate what is happening on site.
We collaborate with Food Sense Wales, an organisation working with communities, organisations, policymakers, and governments across Wales to create a food and farming system that is good for people and good for the planet. We have monthly meetings where we share updates and bounce ideas off other organisations, which is invaluable.
Another common challenge we encounter when creating or caring for green spaces, particularly in schools, is watering. On sites such as ours, access to water can be difficult, as can ensuring someone is available to water plants during weekends and holiday periods – particularly during the hottest summer months when schools are closed. We would urge anyone working on a project like this to think about how they will navigate those challenges from the start.
Our Changeprint
Our Changeprint can be measured by the number of young people and adults who volunteer; how many schools have engaged with our work; the area of land maintained and improved; the number of trees planted; the practical horticultural countryside skills developed and people's improved sense of wellbeing.
