Exciting News about our Community Garden
Building Self-Belief are delighted to be a new member of the the Social Farms and Gardens. We are in the final stages of securing our 25 year lease in Benfieldside Community Garden. Once this has been confirmed, we are ready to get going on what will be a fabulous transformation.
We Need Your Help
As a project we will need as much support as possible from the community. As a community garden we want to create a fabulous space that people of all ages can contribute to and enjoy. There will be planters for growing food, and wildflower areas, some mature trees are already there. What we want to d is involve the community on how we redesign the space.
What underpins our purpose is that it is well known that gardening is so good for our physical and our mental health. In our area, many people only have back yards, therefore to have access to a garden is a brilliant new addition to their lives.
Here are some of the benefits to being involved in community gardening:
- Outdoor gardening can help your body fight disease
- Regular gardening builds strength, promotes sleep and helps maintain a healthy body weight
- Gardening can help protect your memory as you get older
- Gardening is a mood booster
- Gardening calms you after a stressful event
- Community gardens foster a feelings of connectivity
- Gardening can five you a feeling of empowerment
We are open to suggestions about how the space is used, we are also happy for people to give up as much time as they can afford to help us get this project off the ground. If you would like to volunteer in the garden for us, please get in touch.
Benfieldside Community Garden / February 27th, 2026
Forest School Training
Thank you to the The National Lottery Community Fund for supporting our Outdoor First Aid course training for the community garden, and helping us prepare for Forest School.
Celebrating Stanley / December 16th, 2025
"Queen for a Day" Poem - South Stanley Junior School
This poem was created by Savannah, William, Kyden and Kiera. They were inspired by a photograph from the Stanley Festival of Queens in 1960.
Youth Social Action / August 14th, 2023
A Greener Future for Stanley
Gardening is one of the best activities to support health and wellbeing, and the love and dedication our Year 9 Eco Ambassadors have shown for their North Durham Academy Community Wellbeing Garden is a classic example of this.