Community Garden Support convenes the Community Growing Forum for the City, as part of the Sustainable Food Places Partnership which was established in August 2023 by the Community Planning Partnership. The establishment of this forum is one of the actions from the Belfast Agenda.  

 We are gathering evidence and information that will help build the foundations of a city-wide community growing strategy, to help tackle food security and build positive connections around what sustainable food looks like across the city, with input from all these actors. We aim to pool resources and information to allow coordinated efforts to support and develop community growing infrastructure across the City for the benefit of all, but especially of those in areas of Multiple Deprivation, and marginalised groups, especially disabled people, and ethnically minoritised people.  

 The group has a remit from the Sustainable Food Partnership to bring together landowners, public bodies, third sector support organisations and grassroots growers to build relationships and lay the groundwork for a more strategic and joined up approach to community growing in the city. With food security challenges on the horizon it is important to embed good communication structures at an early stage with different actors in this area.