Blooming In The Community
Edge Group Scotland Celebrates Community Garden Week at the Heugh
This week marks Community Garden Week, and Edge Group Scotland's Life Programme team is delighted to be spending time at one of our favourite places, the Heugh Community Garden. At Edge Group Scotland, we are passionate about providing autistic individuals and those with additional support needs (ASN) with valuable real-life experiences, and volunteering at the Heugh is a cornerstone of this commitment.
Each week, our Life Programme team takes on a variety of tasks at the Heugh Community Garden, gaining practical skills and a sense of accomplishment. These experiences are designed to support the development of employability and life skills, crucial for their journey towards greater independence.
🌱 Budding Partnership with Mutual Benefits
Our partnership with the Heugh Community Garden is a beautiful example of mutual benefit:
For our programme participants: Volunteering offers a wealth of opportunities to develop essential skills, build confidence, and experience the satisfaction of contributing to a team effort. It also provides a valuable connection to nature and promotes wellbeing. Importantly, it also fosters a sense of belonging and purpose as our participants become active contributors to their community.
For the local community: Our teams provide practical support to the garden, helping with tasks that contribute to its upkeep and development. This not only helps the garden to flourish as a valuable community resource, but it also strengthens the bonds within the community. The presence of our programme participants enriches the community spirit, promoting inclusion and demonstrating the value and capabilities of individuals who are autistic and/or have other additional support needs.
Valuable members of the community: Through their consistent and dedicated volunteering, our programme participants become valuable members of the community. Their efforts contribute directly to the maintenance and enhancement of a shared space, benefiting everyone who uses the Heugh Community Garden. This active participation challenges stereotypes and highlights the diverse contributions that autistic individuals and those with ASN can make to society.
🪴Giving Back to Our Roots
The Heugh Community Garden holds a special place in our hearts, not just because it provides such a rich learning environment for our programme participants, but also because of its location. Situated in Tranent, East Lothian, it's very close to our base in Musselburgh. Volunteering here gives us a wonderful opportunity to give back to the local community and allows our programme participants to become actively involved in contributing to their own neighbourhood.
This Community Garden Week, we celebrate the importance of community spaces like the Heugh and the power of volunteering to benefit everyone involved. We're incredibly proud of our Life Programme team's contribution and look forward to continuing our fruitful partnership with the Heugh Community Garden for many years to come.
More about the Heugh Community Garden
The Heugh Community Garden project aims to develop an old gasworks site in Tranent that has lain unused since 1978 into a Community Growing Garden resource.
Find out more on their Facebook Page: Natural Connections
Would you like to learn more about our programmes for young adults with additional support needs?
Visit our Day Services page for information on our supported programmes and how to refer a young person to our services.