This month Story Weaver Lesley Anne Rose chatted with David Tatton, Community Environment Champion at Growing Together Craigshill. David shared inspirational stories of all of the amazing work they undertake with all ages in their local area, along with his personal passion for connecting people and communities through the environment and wellbeing.
Tell us about you/organisation/community group.
Growing Together is a community partnership funded through the Scottish Government’s Investing in Communities Fund. It’s broad range of activities cover wellbeing and the environment for the benefit of the residents of Craigshill – a community of around 8,000 people to the east of Livingston in West Lothian. The project is supported by three pillar organisations – Almond Housing Association, Spark and West Lothian Youth Action Group and is led and delivered from the community up.
David is part of the small team that work for Growing Together delivering the organisation’s community engagement programme that acts as a catalyst for positive social change. Between them they tap into as many groups and schools in Craigshill as possible with the aim of contributing to the overall wellbeing and growth of individuals and the community as a whole.
The work of Growing Together is built on different pillars. Originally a growing project focusing only on community gardening, the organisation now builds their activity around themes of the environment, wellbeing and anti poverty, recognising that they all link together and are all linked by community.
As Community Environment Champion, David’s role operates at the front line of the organisation and is all about bringing people in and working with the local Craigshill community on areas that directly support the environment. He achieves this through Growing Together’s volunteer programme as well as designing and delivering a programme of workshops and events. These can be anything from mindful bird watching walks to helping people get involved with the Big Plastic Count. One of the most important aspects of the way this activity is planned is that there are no barriers to taking part. All workshops and events are free to engage with ensuring anyone can get involved regardless of their circumstances. For example, David planned a natural wreath making workshop over Christmas which was a great way for local residents to learn a new skill, meet people and make something that has a low environmental footprint.
A key part of David’s role is to also be a voice for Craigshill beyond the boundaries of the community, ensuring engagement and connections happen over a much broader area. For example, he’s part of the West Lothian Growers Group through which he champions the good work being done at Craigshill while also gaining the support of a wider network of likeminded organisations.
What inspired you to take your first step into community climate action?
David’s first step was a change of career a number of years ago when he retrained in horticulture and set up a small market garden which provided fresh produce to his local community. During our conversation it came across loud and clear just how much David cares about growing food. When he started to do this professionally through his market garden, all be it on a small scale compared with neighbouring farms, he came face to face with some of the immediate and bigger impacts of climate change. It was evident in the details of his record keeping and in temperature changes, crop failures and increased water levels that climate change was real and evident in his everyday life. Also, the inefficient use of land and resources became clear – with so much land being used for livestock when it could be more efficiently used for growing crops. At this time he also started to connect with the community aspect of his work and move in that direction.
What’s the one community climate action you’ve undertaken that you think had the most impact?
David was clear that working with school children through Growing Together is one of the best aspects of his job and that they give him hope. He was keen to convey that working with primary school children, and playing a role in facilitating their learning about bio diversity is one of the most impactful areas of his work. Proving that children and young people are listening, they care and know what’s going on.
Growing Together work with most schools local to Criagshill and my conversation with David followed on from a monthly workshop with the community’s primary schools. These are always focused on a growing or environmental related activity. That day they’d planted seedling native trees to be given to local schools to plant in their areas. David has also undertaken a programme of biodiversity and organic food growing sessions for local children. This programme invited every local primary school child in Craigshill into Growing Together’s gardens for a half day session to learn about growing. On days when the weather prevents them going outside, they’ll undertake activities like making ‘messy potions’ with petals and herbs so children can continue to engage with the outdoors even on days when the weather forces them indoors.
David shared that for a long time he was worried about the doom and gloom around climate, but stressed the importance of being positive with young people and letting them know that it’s not over and we can make a difference as individuals and communities. Following his Growing Together workshops the children have gone away and thought about biodiversity and how to care for outdoor spaces in their local area as homes for wildlife and places where you can grow food locally.
Growing Together also work with disaffected teenagers who are struggling at school. They offer them the opportunity to come out of school for a day a week and to work in the community garden helping to build infrastructure as well as growing. During these days they also meet and work with other people from the Craigshill community, especially those from older generations, giving both the opportunity to see each other in a different light.
What’s your best story of positive community climate action?
Growing Together employs two gardeners who manage five community gardens across Craigshill, some of which are run by local residents. Their biggest community garden is also their main hub through which they produce a lot of food, some of which goes into a local community fridge and is given to those who need it most. Through this initiative Growing Together can open up conversations about how food is grown, where it comes from, food miles, seasonality and sharing. Sometimes they’ll make food such as soup with some of the produce and host an evening event and free community meal.
For David, this is one of the aspects of Growing Together’s work he’s most proud of. From his perspective the language around climate change can be complex and confusing especially for those who live in an area with a lot of poverty. Conversations around climate can seem distant and to have little bearing on life when you’re struggling to put food on the table. However, people can see the tangible difference to their lives that community gardens and growing your own food can make. All of which enable lots of good and relevant conversations.
What’s your advice/tips for other people/community groups wanting to start to take collective action against a changing climate?
The main message David was keen to get across is that no one is an inconsequential individual. Everyone has skills and knowledge that are transferable. You might be an individual or a small group, but there will be other people like you who care and want to get involved. All actions, no matter how small, snowball when we all make them and can lead to something that has impact and makes a difference. Whatever you care about and can tangibly do – do it. If you can, link with other people and organisations as working together always adds up.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Stay positive about your message in the darkest of media times. And don’t forget to make time to celebrate all of the good stuff you’ve done.
We’re Social
Website: https://www.growingtogether-craigshill.org.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/growingtogetherlivi
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/g.rowingt0gether/
All images courtesy of Growing Together Craigshill.