The Royal Edinburgh Community Gardens

The Royal Edinburgh Community Gardens is an NHS Lothian initiative with a mission to make opportunities for good food and healthy lifestyles available to the local communities in which NHS Lothian hospitals are based. The gardens have a particular focus on welcoming people who are experiencing mental or physical health problems, disadvantage, isolation or poverty.

Our programme outcomes are:

• improving health and well-being
• building community
• providing routes to employment
• improving awareness around environmental practice
• improving social understanding and community integration

Who benefits from the Royal Edinburgh Community Gardens?

• local community
• people who are experiencing mental or physical health problems
• third party charities looking for a facility to support the delivery of their programme outcomes
• patients and staff at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital
• school groups of all ages
• companies looking for both CSR benefits and environmental education
• health authorities looking to promote healthy eating and a physically active lifestyle to socially excluded groups and prevent over-demand on health services
• citizens concerned by environmental and food security issues

The RECG's services include:

• Gardening: growing and eating local food while building community and developing skills.
• Walks, workshops, events, and a range of 'hands on' activities which encourage healthy eating and promote social inclusion.
• Advice and support for those trying to improve their lives or the lives of others through the provision of good food and good health.