Growing greener: Celebrating local eco initiatives!

Salvationist hears how corps and centres are using food and gardening in their ministry and mission.

Garden renovation 
Forest of Dean

In 2025, we were delighted to work alongside Forest Food Network to transform the garden at our community hub into a usable growing space. We were able to repair the greenhouse and, with hard work and commitment from our passionate gardeners, develop three growing beds. From this we grew our own fresh salad and vegetables. This helped us feed more than 50 people over the summer months, ranging from fresh homemade soups using potatoes and vegetables through to preparing and serving fresh salads and fruit from our plum and blackberry plants. 

This project is not just about food and the environment – it’s about connecting people with each other and making a big impact in a small but beautiful space. We are already planning to set up the gardening group again this summer and continue to develop environmental care while inspiring community spirit.

by Territorial Envoy Jon Harris

Food parcels 
Ilford

We decided to do ideally vegan, if not vegetarian, food parcels about two years ago. It was hard at first and took a lot of research, ensuring we look for bargains and good prices while meeting this aim. We also only ever serve vegetarian food at corps events. The cookery class serve amazing food, all cooked from scratch – the class is a mixture of church members, volunteers and residents from Malachi Place. 

All the sweets we use on Sundays for any activities are vegan as well – including Skittles, Jammie Dodgers and Party Rings! On Saturdays, we do a vegetarian drop-in for up to 70 people called Brunch. It’s about respect and inclusivity, as well as caring for creation. It really is worth a little bit of extra thought!

by Major Ruth Gray

Allotments at The Priory 
Isle of Wight 

In one of the most unique Homelessness Services settings, a group of residents have, for several years, nurtured their green thumbs and cared for creation by working on the allotments within the grounds.

The Priory, which was previously a Catholic nunnery and is now owned by a separate charity trust, has a large garden that is open to the public three days a week. They enjoy the café and the beautiful grounds. They also see residents growing fruit and vegetables, which are used in their own cooking and in the communal meals programme the centre runs once a week.

Each year, two or three residents really take an interest in the allotment. In January and February, they begin planning their planting and nurturing seedlings in their rooms and on the windowsills. Then, around Easter, the first hardy plants are placed in the prepared ground, and as the summer approaches the residents spend many hours each week caring for their allotment and enjoying the produce it brings.

Paul, a resident who has recently moved into his own accommodation, shared last year that the allotment gave him a sense of purpose and focus. Three residents who currently enjoy the allotment, Si, Liam and Hayley, all speak about the peace they feel in the garden, and how being connected with nature helps their mental and physical health. They also shared about the satisfaction they feel when sharing plants or produce with others, commenting that ‘it always tastes better when you’ve grown it yourself’!

As chaplain, I see a real spiritual benefit for the residents when they spend time in the allotment, using the time in a relaxed and beautiful setting to initiate conversations about our Creator God who loves and nurtures everything, including each one of us. I also enjoy the ice cream shared in the allotment space in the summer!

by Lieutenant Rachel Furlong

The Growing Group 
Jersey 

Bumblebee Field was donated to The Salvation Army in Jersey many years ago, for the benefit of our island community. It is surrounded by steeply sloping fields used for growing the earliest crop of famous Jersey Royal potatoes. We currently run a project called The Growing Group, which partners The Adult Learning Disability Service from the Government of Jersey’s Health Department to provide therapeutic gardening sessions. Currently eight people are part of the group. The sessions are led by The Salvation Army, but with the therapeutic aspects led by a small team of psychologists, occupational therapists and learning disability nurses.

So much of our work is intended to build confidence and a sense of friendship and belonging. Members are able to make choices for themselves, including what they would like to grow. The produce is split three ways – some is taken home, some is used in our free daily soups in our café, and the rest is sold in our honesty box to fund the project. The members find purpose and success in growing their own produce, but also in being part of supporting others on the island through the soup.

The gardening is also a real leveller, with medical professionals and members of the group being able to have really positive conversations while digging, weeding, watering and sharing tea breaks together. We learn so much each week from the members of the group, and are reminded of the beauty and value in each and every person. There is a real sense of fun and enjoyment being surrounded by nature and spending time with really awesome people – and there are occasional water fights too!

by Captain Richard Nunn

Polytunnels 
Shetland 

As we approach the five-year mark of being here, we are so blessed to see what God has done and is doing in our community. Having opened the first polytunnel in April 2022, we now have three, each one having a different purpose. The first is for planting. The second is a meeting space for rest, refreshments and reflection. The third is a play area for children under eight. We have just opened a shed that houses pre-loved and new clothing and shoes, which have kindly been donated.

We became a Fairtrade church in 2024. We are also in the process of putting together our silver award application for Eco-Congregation Scotland. As far as possible we use eco-friendly products, such as compostable plant pots and paper bags. We also use many donated and second-hand items that are still fit for purpose. We use cotton cloths for hand drying and provide recycling bins. We have our own compost bin, both at the tunnel and at home. We have a good selection of wooden toys for the play area rather than solely plastic. Pallet wood is reused to make planters and Christmas accessories.

by Major David Womersley

Eco Café 
St Albans

The corps has embarked on a monthly Eco Café initiative. Visitors can enjoy a hot Fairtrade drink and tasty homemade vegan sweet treats, and green concerns are highlighted in the form of a quiz or other relevant methods of sharing information. Each month we use a different theme and retain the details of each café session, so that once it’s delivered the first time, it doesn’t take much to replicate later. 

We’re constantly mindful that the intensive farming that supplies us all with meat, milk, eggs, etc, is very carbon-intensive, contributing to our warming world. The lower down the food chain we can focus our diets, the better for the planet and us!

by Major Heather Poxon

Eco Café 
Penge

Major Heather Poxon recently gave a talk at our Connect Club, and this inspired us to find out more about eco cafés. A small group of us will be attending the St Albans Eco Café in July to find out more about this innovative idea. The corps will be hosting its first Eco Café in August with the help of Major Heather and we’re interested to see how many people join us. We look forward to inspiring others to try it too!

by Major Paula Knight