Regeneration: The Link - Ruchazie
Greening and Growing Project

The Plans

A key element of Greening and Growing is to create a community growing space and allotments to provide fresh, local produce for the Growing21 pantry, bistro café and kitchen. The growing space will include raised beds, polytunnel, orchard and rainwater collection. As well as growing fresh produce for use in the pantry, café and kitchen, the growing space will provide a range of opportunities for local people to get involved in gardening / food growing, and opportunities for training and learning.

This site development aims include maintaining the site's natural elements and provide a new outdoor community space for allotments, play-areas and educational spaces for local schools and nurseries.

You can download our development plans here.

Timeline

September 2020 - June 2022

June 2022

September 2022

June 2023

July 2023

January 2024

February 2024

The Trust carried out various community consultations with the local community via; community events, surveys, social media, community meetings and newsletters.

The Trust appointed Lateral North to co-create Ruchazie Greening and Growing development plans in collaboration with the community and various stakeholders.

Lateral North developed and produced our Greening and Growing plans into a detailed brochure. Download here.

Based on the community engagement, stakeholder engagement and site considerations the following three design principles have been drawn up to lead the approach to how ‘Greening and Growing Ruchazie’ can be taken forward and developed:

1. Maintain green corridors and a natural greenspace which supports local people and wildlife alike.

2. Develop and focus on biodiversity, outdoor education and play, food growing and community opportunities.

3. Create pockets of colour within the space to encourage creativity and engagement.

The first container arrived on site and will be used to store allotment equipment and a small office space.

The community were asked for suggestions for names for the old school grounds. Ruchazie resident, Stewart McGaughey came up with 'The Link' that will become the name for specific part of the site.

Despite the typical scottish wet weather, The Conservation Volunteers and Ruchazie community members started work on site building planters. We also welcomed various members of the community to come along and get involved.

Ruchazie Pantry organised a BBQ with an amazing selection of baked goods to keep everyone energised. A community artist supported the community to create their own art designs that will be incorporated onto the final design of the site container.

The mighty Seven Lochs Volunteers were back after the festive break and smashing it at Ruchazie Link community garden! Paths were enhanced, bulbs were planted, trees were planted, deadwood piles were created, woodland wildflower mix was spread, tea was drunk and biodiversity was increased!

Artist, Katie Anderson started work with community members in July 2023 to develop and design the art work for the container on site. The container design was completed in February 2024. Katie writes "We developed ideas for the design through some playful workshops with the Ruchazie Pantry volunteers and passing kids and young people, exploring ideas for signage, and bold and colourful designs. Most important for the volunteers was that this felt like a welcome to everyone, the vision is that this can be a space for everyone locally to access and make use of – so we added ‘welcome’ in a collection of languages suggested by the voluntary team".

The amazing Seven Lochs volunteers were developing a self seeded beech woodland on an old blaes playground. They started defining paths, planted native bulbs like bluebell and wood anemones, scattered woodland wildflower mix and planted trees for greater biodiversity such as holly, hazel and field maple - this area will become a wonderful woodland learning and discovery space!