More people are also coming together locally to grow their own food. Social Farms and Gardens (Scotland) have created the Community Growing Resource Pack Scotland which is a comprehensive introduction to setting up, developing and sustaining a community-managed farm, garden or related community growing space.

The pack takes you through the following steps:

• Starting your group: Covers bringing people together and getting the word out about your ideas.
  
  
• Finding and securing your site: Advice on where and how to find the right site. Also covers what on-site checks you need to make to ensure your potential site is suitable for community growing.
  
  
• Involving the community & profile raising: Sharing and refining your vision by getting the local community involved in shaping your project.
  
  
• Organising your group: Once the ball is rolling it’s a good idea to get properly organised. This step covers action and business planning as well as formalising your group by creating a management committee.
  
  
• Planning & designing your site: Site analysis and design allows forward planning and enhances ownership and involvement by the group itself.
  
  
• Money & budgets: Getting your finances in shape, understanding financial processes and working up accurate budgets are all essential elements for your developing growing group.
  
  
• Raising funds & generating income: Getting income into your group doesn’t just mean fundraising. There are other ways to generate income – and save expenditure.
  
  
• Safety first: Looking after volunteers, workers & visitors: Insurance, risk assessment and Health & Safety.
  
  
• Recruitment & training: Taking on staff and volunteers and understanding what’s involved in this process is an important step in a group’s development.
  
  
• Governance and paperwork: If your group is well organised and follows good practice it is more likely to function better, deal with administration quicker and be more robust for the future.
  
  
• Becoming a membership organisation: Covers the basics of becoming a membership organisation, including membership fees, renewals and keeping records.
  
  
• Maintaining and developing your project: After the initial stages of setting up your group comes the task of making it thrive. This final step explores retaining volunteers and community interest, working with advisors, carrying out an organisational health check and sustaining momentum

Download the Community Growing Resource Pack Scotland