Newtongrange Guerrilla Gardeners awarded Volunteering Matters Action Earth grant

The Newtongrange Guerrilla Gardeners have been recognised by Action Earth for their hard work.

What began as an informal meet-up of locals hoping to brighten up their surroundings gathered momentum throughout 2021, with the green-fingered group breathing new life into the village, including areas surrounding the school nursery, library, leisure centre and historic miners’ wheel.

It is this area that particularly caught the attention of Volunteering Matters Action Earth who have awarded the voluntary group £250 to spend on bulbs, plants, and equipment to ensure it continues to bloom into 2022.

The grant is part of the Volunteering Matters’ Action Earth campaign which aims to help local communities respond to climate change. Action Earth is supporting around 140 projects in Scotland in 2021 with grant awards of up to £500. Grant funding for the campaign is provided by NatureScot.

Established in May 2021, the Newtongrange Guerrilla Gardeners is a voluntary community group brought together by a shared passion for brightening up the village, making it a greener and more welcoming place for all.

From informal gardening evenings to flash mob style litter picks, they believe everyone can make a positive difference to their local environment.

Newtongrange Guerrilla Gardeners co-ordinator, Rebecca McCosh, hopes this financial boost from Action Earth will encourage more people to get behind the group’s work.

She said: “This grant from Volunteering Matters’ Action Earth will enable our volunteers to continue to take practical action to improve the area.

"These local outdoor spaces are a shared resource and we’re encouraging everybody to get involved. Even the smallest individual action can help.”

If you are keen to get involved, learn new skills, improve your local environment, and have fun at the same time, follow the Newtongrange Guerrilla Gardeners on Facebook for information on their next meet-up in the village.