Volunteers at the Cotgrave Community Garden have shared their passion for their pastime in a bid to encourage more people to take up gardening and positively influence their local area.

The Trent Bridge Community Trust’s flagship Positive Futures project already takes a group of young people to the garden on a weekly basis.

However, volunteer Sammy Mathers believes there is enormous untapped potential for the plot of land located in the heart of Cotgrave village, just five miles south-east of Trent Bridge and six from Nottingham city centre.

As such, she is representing the group who are currently taking time out to develop the garden, with the plans sure to excite anyone with a love of the outdoors.

“It gives you a really good, purposeful feeling being able to grow produce and take it out to the kitchen just next door for the rest of the community,” beams Sammy.

“There’s something about gardening that’s very good for your wellbeing, and it’s really empowering being outside in nature, particularly if that’s something you enjoy.”

The garden is aiming to revitalise a patch of land that formerly hosted Cotgrave’s crown green bowling club, and is located opposite the village’s leisure centre, on Woodview.

Visitors are more than welcome to see for themselves the work that is currently going on, and anyone who may want to get involved is actively encouraged to do just that.

Sammy explained the produce currently being grown in the garden ranges from “fruit, vegetables, and flowers,” but is expanding to include “anything we can grow.

“We’d really hope to get more people involved,” she said. “I found so many benefits to my mental health from being in this space that we’d love to encourage others and allow them to feel what it can offer.

“If they’re perhaps feeling a little bit anxious, it can be so beneficial to just come and have a stroll around, experience the space, and hopefully leave feeling a little bit better.”

“It gives you so much confidence, if you think how you have the opportunity to sow something – say, a tomato seed – you care for it, and suddenly you have food that you can eat or you can share with the community.”

“It’s a really empowering feeling, and our aim is to just allow as many people as possible the chance to feel that way.”

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