An update on our Climate and Disability Project

We are so excited to share an update on our Climate & Disability Project, commissioned by Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership. This year-long initiative, which began in October 2024, is funded by the National Lottery's Climate Action Fund as part of the Community Climate Action Project. This citywide programme demonstrates how community-led efforts can support Bristol in meeting its nature and climate goals while simultaneously increasing people's overall quality of life.

This initiative holds tremendous significance for us as we work to create meaningful opportunities for Disabled people to connect with nature, food and the community, all whilst contributing to food security and climate action.

A Project With Purpose

Here at RCG, we've always believed that everyone should have access to green spaces, growing opportunities and the joy of connecting with nature. This project allows us to specifically focus on removing barriers and creating inclusive experiences for Disabled members of our community.

The Climate & Disability Project represents our commitment to doing our bit for the environment whilst ensuring that climate action is accessible to all. We recognise that Disabled people are often disproportionately affected by climate change and may face additional barriers to participating in activities for the environment.

Art Togeher: an art therapy group for people with dementia and their carers

What We've Accomplished So Far

Since launching the project, we've been busy developing and implementing a variety of accessible activities:

Weekly Woodworking Group: Every Thursday morning, adults from diverse backgrounds (including those with learning and physical disabilities) gather to learn woodworking skills in an accessible environment. Participants form meaningful connections while building raised beds, planters, woodworking shelters and more. You can purchase beautiful, handmade planters through our website, with all proceeds directly supporting the continuation of this group.

Cookery Sessions: We've been hosting inclusive cookery sessions for various groups. In March, we welcomed students from Hillcrest School who learned hands-on cooking skills by making individual pizzas and fruit kebabs. The feedback was very positive, with children taking away important lessons about sustainable and healthy eating. We're also providing homegrown, homecooked meals to those in need.

Gardening Workshops: Our inclusive gardening sessions are teaching accessible growing techniques and creating opportunities for Disabled participants to connect with the land and contribute to our Garden.

Art Therapy Groups: We've continued to facilitate art therapy sessions specifically designed for people living with dementia and their carers.

Improving Accessibility: We're actively assessing and enhancing our facilities to ensure they are accessible to all. We now offer an accessibility map of the Garden and have recently installed a new path to make all parts of the Garden fully wheelchair accessible. We're planning to replace wood chips with tarmac in the garden's table area to improve wheelchair access. We've also updated our promotional materials with more accessible colour schemes after learning certain backgrounds and colours are better for those who are visually impaired.

Looking Forward

This is just the beginning of our journey. We're excited to announce that we've recently received planning permission for a new café featuring an accessible toilet, indoor space and expanded cooking facilities including a bigger kitchen. These improvements will provide even more opportunities for the Disabled community to get involved, including serving teas and coffees and helping with cooking activities. As Cath Atkinson, our Programme Manager, says:

"It's amazing how many people don't know we're here. From the outside we might look like we're a café in a park but we're so much more, we are a real community hub."

In the coming months, we plan to expand our offerings, reach more Disabled community members, and develop longer-term sustainable initiatives that embed accessibility into everything we do at Redcatch Community Garden.

We invite everyone, regardless of ability, to join us in this important work. Whether you'd like to participate in our activities, volunteer or simply learn more about accessible community gardening, we'd love to hear from you. Please get in touch with Cath at cath@redcatchcg.com or pop in for a chat from Monday-Sunday, 9:30am-4:30pm.

For more details about our Climate & Disability Project, check out this recent feature on Bristol Good Food 2030's blog.