Exciting News about our Community Garden

Volunteering / Environmental / October 13th, 2023

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.

Volunteer for us

Employability / December 6th, 2024

Volunteering / December 6th, 2024

From Consett to Chan Yu

The premise of Know our Neighbourhood is to get people volunteering, not just to provide the activities themselves. We were delighted when Joe Farnsworth signed up a s a volunteer, Joe had recently graduated with a Cyber Security degree from the University of Newcastle and was looking for opportunities to extend his skills.

Volunteering / October 23rd, 2026

Environmental / October 23rd, 2026

St Joseph's Eco Ambassador Programme

Take a look at our fabulous film about our Eco Ambassador Programme at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in Stanley. What an absolutely amazing group of children! They were enthusiastic and fabulous throughout the whole programme. This film includes our work in the schoolyard to improve the whole school surroundings and our trips to collaborate and work in the extended community.

Employability / May 22nd, 2020

Covid 19 | Should Students Repeat their Current School Year?

Suggestions have been put forward that students should repeat this current academic year.