Port Elliot Town & Foreshore Improvement Association - Friends of Port Elliot Community Garden
PETFIA - Friends of Port Elliot Community Garden
The Friends of Port Elliot Community Garden (FPECG) is a sub-group of the Town and Foreshore Association. We have recently finalized a lease with the Alexandrina Council for a site in Port Elliot on which to establish a community garden. The new community garden is on portion of Reserve 60, Elliot Street, Port Elliot – at the western end of Elliot Street adjacent to the Port Elliot CFS/SES complex. Community gardens are known to promote social and mental health and community cohesion; as well as promoting healthy lifestyle activities and improving access to fresh fruit and vegetables.
More details can be found in our current newsletter PUMPkin ViNE. Click Here to view the newsletter.
What's Next?
The FPECG Management Committee are very excited to be steering this great community project. The committee and friends have worked very hard over the last 18 months researching and negotiating for the set up of the garden. The timeframe seems very long but is probably around average for the start of a new community garden. It will still be several months before any actual gardening occurs on the site as the site has to be secured with the construction of fences and a mains water connection needs to be installed so that water is available on site.
All this infrastructure of course needs to be funded so the management committee have been busy applying for grants from various Government programs and from private organizations. Sponsorship and donations are being sought from local businesses and service clubs and we have been fortunate to have received donations of goods from private individuals.
We have been successful with our application to the Commonwealth Stronger Communities Grant – receiving funding for the construction of a locked tool shed/meeting area. One other grant application has been submitted and another two are currently being prepared.
We are now looking to grow our membership – join up now to be considered foundation members. Membership forms can be found on the PETFIA website.
Friends of Port Elliot Community Garden Contact
Ian Nuberg 0421 144 671 - ian.nuberg@adelaide.edu.au
Weekly Working Bees
Don’t forget the weekly Thursday morning working bees from 9-12 (unless the forecast temperature is over 35 degrees); this is a time to continue preparing the garden beds, paving the paths, watering and continuing to develop garden infrastructure. We would love to see as many members as possible joining in the garden development; the ageold motto, ‘Many hands make lighter work’, still holds true.
Successful Grants
Successful grant applications – Commonwealth Building Better Communities & Alexandrina Council Community Wellbeing Grant means we now have funds to install the remaining perimeter fencing and to construct a shed for tool storage and a small area to meet/shelter. A work schedule and a series of working bees are being planned. The dates for working bees will be advertised by email/social media.
