In photos / community food growing
Redcatch Community Garden – ‘Where the community comes to grow’
In just eight years, Redcatch Community Garden has grown from a disused bowling green to a thriving community project with space for growing, creating and playing.
The garden in Knowle brings local people together to learn, socialise, share skills and improve health and wellbeing through a wealth of activities including nature connection, Peace Feasts, art workshops, gardening groups, tai chi and pre-school creative play.
The dedicated organisational team are intent on tackling local food insecurity and host free hot lunches every Tuesday, as well as selling sustainable, homegrown and locally sourced produce at affordable prices.
Their focus on climate change action includes a weekly ‘gardening for pollinators’ group, environmental sessions for local schoolchildren, a Youth Climate Project and a food and nature project with and for Disabled people due to begin in October.
As part of his exploration of the flourishing of Bristol’s Regenerative Culture, photographer Mark Simmons reflects on what he found when he visited the garden.
“There are so many things to say about the many important and inspiring roles and functions that Redcatch Community Garden plays in creating a nature and community hub.
“Being there felt like a mix of community farm, open air cafe, allotment, garden centre, sensory retreat, healing space, therapeutic and training centre, bee keeping project, village hall, healthy organic shop, occasional pop up kitchen and mini festival/music vibes…
“All thanks to the fulfilment of the vision of CEO Kate, founding partner Mike and the many committed workers and volunteers.
“Key to what is happening here is a phrase Kate mentioned: ’social capital’.
“A somewhat jargoned term, it describes a rather beautiful dynamic which is at play at Redcatch: to paraphrase, people coming together and realizing a collective dream, where difficulties and differences are held and healed in the bigger space that the vision sustains.
“There are many disused bowling greens all over Bristol – every neighbourhood could have one of these for the health and cohesion of the community.
“This is a perfect example of Regeneration.”
Redcatch Community Garden holds its Harvest Fair this weekend, on Sunday September 7, from 11am – 3.30pm, followed by a ceilidh dance from 5pm. All proceeds will go towards building a permanent, weatherproof, accessible onsite cafe. For more information visit www.redcatchcommunitygarden.com or instagram.com/redcatch_community_garden
All images: Mark Simmons
Find more of Mark’s work at instagram.com/marksimmonsphoto If you’d like Mark to document your growing project, get in touch at [email protected]
Read next:
- A River’s Song celebrates ‘mistreated and neglected’ south Bristol river
- Hartcliffe City Farm – ‘Positive connections between people, land and food’
- In photos: Bristol’s climate news – August 2025
- Meet the growers doing things differently
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