Community Engagement Fund 2009

Community Engagement Fund Application

31 Jan 2009

For Petone Community Board

1. Organisation details

1.1 Name: Moera Community Garden 1.2 Address: Moera Reserve, Randwick Crescent, Moera 1.3 Contacts: Paul Kennett, organiser Martin de Jong, organiser 1.4 Members: 41 email list, 10 core group 1.5 GST: None

2. Event/activity details

2.1 Activity title: Expanding Moera Community Garden

2.2 Description: We plan to add four new raised garden beds to be allotted to local community groups, eg the local Kōhanga Reo. This project requires; extending the irrigation system, building new raised bed borders, and filling them with new compost and soil. Seedlings would be provided by each community group.

2.3 Proposed budget: Compost/soil mixture (3 cubic metres) from The Goods Shed $285.00
Irrigation fixtures from Mitre10 Mega $ 25.38
Reactive Phosphate Rock 25kg bag from www.hort-max.co.nz $ 25.87
Seaweed power 10kg bag from www.hort-max.co.nz $ 44.44
Funding requested: $380.69

2.4 Seeking under $500

2.4.1 Where and when: At the Moera Community Garden, from late February 2009 to April 2009.

2.4.2 How activity benefits community: Expanding the Moera Community Garden benefits include:

• providing a means to promote healthy eating
• providing an educational resource to be used by different groups, with specific opportunities to learn about growing food
• encouraging community involvement
• assisting in the empowerment of the community through active involvement in the development of the garden
• encouraging communication and interaction between groups (eg. the elderly, schools and kindergartens, Maori, Pacific Island peoples, other immigrant communities and newcomers to Moera, and Health service providers)
• providing opportunities for individual social interaction
• encouraging pride and a sense of ownership and responsibility
• raising the profile of Moera and create opportunities for positive media representation.
• the therapeutic benefits of gardening as a healthy recreational activity
• affordable, healthy food

2.4.3 Extent of community involvement in this activity (incl. planning, running, participating, financial support):

The “core group” of roughly 10 local residents, plus new comers, will repeat the process used to build our second pair of garden beds; collect free surplus pallets, pull them apart and reconstitute them as raised box beds (2 days work for 4 new beds). These are then filled with soil/compost using the layered “no-dig” method (2 hours). After a brief settling time they are ready for planting.

Plots will be allocated to local interested groups. Planting takes 1 hour per plot. Ongoing maintenance is dependant on plant selection.

Any unallocated plots will be planted and maintained as part of the “communal” section until “owners” can be found. Excess produce will be donated to the Muturangi Trust for distributing at their free food days.

Once a month we have a pot luck lunch for everyone interested, followed by a planning/review discussion.

Up to this point the gardens have been self-funded by donations from within the community garden group.

2.4.4 How do we measure success: Greater numbers of people involved from more diverse backgrounds, plus more produce.

2.4.5 Accountability: Yes. Full details of our activities, including accounts, are posted at www.moera.org.nz with photos and videos!

3. Declaration

Paul Kennett, Organiser

31 Jan 2009