Social Farms & Gardens

We are a registered charity which supports, represents and promotes community-managed farms, gardens, allotments and other green spaces, creating opportunities for local communities to grow.

We work with these community groups to help empower local people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to build better communities, often in deprived areas, and to make a positive impact on their surrounding environment. Our work contributes to creating better communities across the UK in both urban and isolated rural areas. Over the past 3 years we have developed our work in Northern Ireland by regularly convening the Northern Ireland Allotment and Community Garden Forum; advising allotment and community garden groups; organising training and facilitating visits to established sites; and stimulating cooperation between statutory agencies and the community sector, for example through the workplace allotments at Parliament buildings.

We have experienced a rapid growth in Northern Ireland membership in recent years. We also provide the national face of the community farm and garden movement, promoting its work and raising its profile with decision-makers, funders, the public and the media. We have forged a number of strong partnerships with other organisations in areas such as allotments, school farms and care farming.