Since joining Incredible Edible, Garforth in 2021, with no knowledge of growing or gardening, Joy has become a dedicated and vital part of the community group. She is now Project Lead for the wildlife area, which was first developed in 2022 with support from Grow Wild. We spoke to Joy about how the community garden changed her life.
How did you first get involved with Incredible Edible, Garforth?
I joined Incredible Edible in 2021. I'd been in shielding for 18 months and my mental health was horrendous. The first time I went out, I was really apprehensive. My granddaughter took me to our local Co-op, and in there were a few of the Incredible Edible team giving away seeds. I got chatting with them, told them I’d never grown a thing, came away with some seeds and grew my first lot of green beans.
And then near where I live, I saw the Incredible Edible team again and went out to say that I'd grown the beans. Dan (who heads up Incredible Edible Leeds) was there and said, 'We’re looking at putting a raised bed here. Would you be interested, Joy?’ I told him I'm not a grower, but he said I could have a go. And that's where it started for me; I started learning to grow.
They had just started clearing the wildlife area when I came on board. Because of my health, I can't do heavy lifting work, but I started weeding and marking out pathways. We found three large apple trees and two smaller sapling apple trees, really unloved and not fruiting, which we cleared and pruned. Now we get an amazing supply of apples, and we do apple juicing events every year.
I know how invaluable that Grow Wild grant was as the starter for us. I wasn't in charge then, but I saw the impact of getting the grant. It helped to start off the wildlife area with some tools, build the pond, to buy the plants and everything. We all love being connected with Grow Wild.
I can't work, so I'm lucky that I can give up a lot of my time to Incredible Edible, and I love every minute of it. I became Project Lead for the wildlife area last December.
Dan, Joy and Gemma in the Incredible Edible Garforth wildlife area
What has been the highlight for you about being involved?
I can look back now on all the training that I've done with Grow Wild, which was amazing, and training with the Incredible Edible leaders, and I can see the differences. I used to doubt myself and think I don't know anything about these plants or leaves,wild fungi and wildflowers, but now I know that I do.
"I've made amazing friends and connections while growing into a stronger leader."
And I didn't think I'd ever get here. I said to Gemma two months down the line, ‘I can't do this’. She told me 'yes you can, you're leading!'. Apparently it’s called Imposter Syndrome. Now I can look at myself, and say that I've grown in this last year as the wildlife area Project Lead, and I’ve organised and run sessions with help from others. And I know I've got a lot more to learn and I love every minute of learning it. I've made amazing friends and connections while growing into a stronger leader. We've done a lot of connecting with other Incredible Edible groups; I call it my Incredible Edible family because there's always somebody there to answer the other one's questions, and support each other.
What would you say to people thinking of joining a community growing group?
You just need to be brave. Get out there and give it a go. Because until you do, you won't know what it's about or whether you're going to like it.
"I said before that it saved my life, and it literally did."
It's transformed me. I love it. I'm passionate about it. I said before that it saved my life, and it literally did. Becoming an Incredible Edible volunteer saved my life. I was in such a dark place after almost dying a couple of years before from emergency operations, then to be put in shielding for 18 months, isolated from family and grandchildren. I think if I hadn't been brave and just thought, you know what, I'm going to give it a try... That's what people should do. Don't be scared, get out there. There are so many like-minded people who feel like you and who want to be better and want to do better. And lots of friends to be made.
I was that person, who didn't get involved in community groups. I didn't think they were bad thing, but they just weren't for me. But life is so hard, and I found that being out in nature is so calming. It's amazing for your mental health, the amount of people and connections that I've made that I wouldn't have made if I just sat in my house.
I'll keep going to the wildlife area through the winter, running weekly volunteer sessions. I love my two hours in there, in the fresh air, in nature. Nothing better than hearing the birds singing when you go in on a morning. I will keep going as long as the weather lets me go. When we have a short break for Christmas, I'm always itching and I sometimes just go in with a cup of tea, sit by the pond and just listen to all the animals and the birds.
Joy and Gemma by the pond in the wildlife area
Can you talk a bit about who benefits from the wildlife area, and what activities you’ve been running?
We got the balance right between wildlife and community. It speaks volumes that we found a balance. We don't want to disturb the biodiversity, and it is upmost a wildlife area, but it's also a community garden as well. We had our first year of school children coming in doing community pledges, and we’ve had scouts, yoga and wellness sessions. We've got three Duke of Edinburgh boys that volunteer now, and they found hundreds of newts in the pond - so we're doing something right, we're creating habitats!
We can only do what we do in small actions. And the more people we get on board trying to do the same, hopefully it makes an impact on our communities and on climate change too.
"let's get more children back out into nature!"
We’re introducing the community to looking at nature and enjoying nature. Because children nowadays - I know with my grandchildren - they'd much rather be sitting on an iPad at home, and it's not good for them. So let's get more children back out into nature!
Last summer we had a ‘teddy bear’s picnic’ and art session, and the children were so imaginative: they were picking berries and blackberries and painting with them.
We’re making a tree house, too. My granddaughter Ellie had the idea to host story time and seed growing up there. So, for example, she’ll read Princess and the Pea, then the kids will plant some pea seeds to take home.
This year we ran a Halloween scavenger hunt in the wildlife area. We couldn't have imagined the amount of community that came out, we were blown away. It was magical. Ellie and I made lots of glowing decorations, and we did apple bobbing and had hot chocolate and toasted marshmallows. We used nothing of harm to the wildlife and took the lights straight down after.
Halloween in the wildlife area
We thought, how about doing a Christmas Wonderland in December? We're in the middle of that now. It’ll be the same as Halloween, but we’ll make little Santas, snowmen and snowflakes, maybe dress the den building area up.
The support our community showed us has been amazing. I personally can’t wait to start next year.
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