Gardeners ecstatic to receive $10k grant

A group of like-minded people in Kwinana were recently awarded a grant to grow a garden for the community to enjoy.

Kwinana Community Sharing began in 2012 and has now grown to include more than 30 people who enjoy gardening.

The group has been awarded $10,000 through Community Garden Grants and plans to use the money for reticulation and a pizza oven, which its members hope will help bring more people to gatherings.

Member Lauren Rickert said it was very exciting for the group and would help them to become a transition hub.

“We’re building a pizza oven, which will be really cool, and hopefully it’ll be made to be transportable so other people can use it too and it will be made using earthen materials,” she said.

The group started from humble beginnings with a community verge garden and welcomes members of the community to come and join in when they can on a Saturday morning.

Member Pete Oulds said the grant was like gold for the group, who aimed to use gardening as the conduit of building community.

“You’re working on the smell of an oily rag so it’s a reward, it’s a gift, being able to take this to the next level,” he said.

“The grant will help build infrastructure for the food forest and provide workshops to engage with the community and help to share skills.

“It’s blood, sweat and tears so being able to get some reticulation is really going to help reduce the workload and increase productivity.”