Newport community garden links food, skills and social connection

Newport community garden grows food, skills and connection from an unused patch of land

Raven House Trust has turned a once-underused space into a community garden linking food growing, affordable cooking, sustainability and social connection.

The community garden at Raven House Trust in Newport Image: South Wales Argus / Raven House TrustOriginal source

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A once-underused patch of land in Newport has become a community garden where growing food is only part of the point.

The space at Raven House Trust began as a small project supported by a Keep Wales Tidy . Further backing from Newport City Council and the National Lottery Community Fund has helped it grow into a wider community resource.

People can now grow fruit, vegetables and herbs while learning practical gardening and skills. The garden also connects directly with the charity’s community kitchen, where people can learn to turn ingredients into healthy, budget-friendly meals.

That link matters for Raven House Trust’s wider food support work. Produce, cooking skills and the charity’s food-bank can sit alongside one another, helping individuals and families make more use of the food available to them while building confidence.

The garden has another job too: giving people somewhere welcoming to spend time with others. The trust says the project is helping tackle social isolation and plans to add more activities and community sessions through the year.