The Avery Hill Edible Garden was started in 2012 and has since grown and grown! It is run by staff, students and community members and is always open to new people who want to get involved. It is located at the Southwood Site, Avery Hill Campus, behind the David Fussey Building (see this link for map).
The Edible Garden is made up of raised beds, a poly-tunnel, a forest garden, a pond and an orchard. The produce that is harvested is available to all, encouraging organic and healthy diets and providing a valuable resource for students who may be on a budget. Any money made from selling what we grow goes back into the garden’s seed fund!
Did you know: Avery Hill Edible Garden is supporting Goal Number 2 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The garden is not just about growing however, it is also a place to enjoy wildlife, have your lunch or simply a place for quite relaxation.
We meet every Wednesday between 12noon – 2pm so this is good time to come along if you are new to the Edible Garden. However, the garden is open all day every day for those who want to garden rain or shine!
In Spring 2022 our team of student volunteers developed a plan to restore the gardens following Covid impacting on the gardens. We gained over £10k investment from the university to build new long lasting raised beds with accessibility for all. These are now established and looking great. The university provides a budget for the group to help it develop and grow, providing funds for materials, plants, seeds and maintenance.
If you would like to volunteer and join the Community Garden Group email edible-garden@greenwich.ac.uk.
Team Building Opportunities
If you are a member of staff who is looking into team building days, then look no further than our Edible Garden! This is a great opportunity for team volunteering and can help achieve our common objectives and also supports out strategic priority Connected and Sustainable Campuses. It will also strengthen then connections with your team.
Educational & Teaching Opportunities
Gardens are a great space for teaching, pulling you away from the classroom to fresh air and highlighting the importance of the natural environment for our futures. Please download this document for more information.
The Volunteer Process
This project has ringfenced funding through the University’s sustainability budget that encourages food growing that is considerate to nature and healthy eating.
Once you have registered your initial interest, we will arrange to meet you to discuss the garden projects and to take you through access and safety protocols. Every volunteer will need to complete an induction and will need to sign-in and out on every visit. Please contact edible-garden@greenwich.ac.uk so we can arrange a time to meet.
We also welcome organisational support in addition to individual volunteers. Crafty Wizard’s Nursery is one such organisation who are currently looking after our round planters for their learning and teaching purposes.
The Bees
We work with local bee keepers at all our campuses to provide spaces for bee hives and this provides us with an opportunity to offer the chance to put on a suit and learn about the fascinating lives of bees.
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