Inverness Botanic Gardens is celebrating International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development Day, by recognising the volunteering efforts made by three of their former GROW project trainees. Kenny Maclennan, Peter Moore and Ewan McWilliams have now become Highlife Highland Leadership volunteers.
Sadly, since the start of lockdown the GROW project remained closed but thanks to the group of dedicated volunteers, they have managed to keep the area looking beautiful and productive. Their help has allowed the GROW project garden to be maintained along with the vegetable beds and fruit cage, which would otherwise have become and an overgrown jungle.
They also helped with the food production efforts, helping grow 100’s of tomatoes, courgettes, chillies and lots of other veg. The produce went to Inverness Foodstuff at Ness Bank Church, Crown community cupboard and Swanson’s for local distribution. The volunteers have done a huge amount of work helping prepare the ground for a community orchard around the gardens which is now ready to be planted.
Inverness Botanic Gardens Manager, Ewan Mackintosh said, “The support from Kenny, Ewan and Peter has been invaluable and to say a big thank you to them, we presented them with certificates and quality garden spades to take home and use in their own gardens.”
The GROW Project based at the Botanic Gardens supports around 25 adults, primarily, with learning difficulties. They maintain the wildlife and vegetable gardens, benefiting from horticultural therapy and learning gardening skills.
