The Sanctuary Garden - New Poly Tunnel
Building Sustainability, Skills and Community at The Sanctuary Garden
A grant of £1,500 from The Carnegie Dunfermline Trust has helped The Sanctuary Garden Project complete a large commercial polytunnel, creating new opportunities to grow organic produce, support volunteers and strengthen community connections in Dunfermline.
Growing a Community Resource
The funding supported the completion of an 8m x 22m commercial polytunnel after the garden was gifted the metal frame. The grant enabled the purchase of the materials needed to finish the structure, turning an ambitious idea into a valuable community asset.
Volunteers played a central role throughout the project. Before construction began, donated cardboard was used to suppress weeds, while mushroom compost was transported with the help of a neighbouring farmer. Volunteers carefully planned the foundations using CAD software and worked together to erect the structure, prepare growing beds and plant seedlings.
Within a week, the frame was complete and covered with protective mesh, allowing crops to be established while the final plastic covering was being sourced. Today, the polytunnel is producing a wide range of vegetables, including chard, beans, brassicas, chillies, aubergines, leeks, lettuce and onions.
Supporting Health, Wellbeing and Food Security
The project strongly aligns with the Trust's priorities of Health & Wellbeing, Poverty Alleviation and Reducing Loneliness. The new polytunnel will enable the garden to grow and donate nutritious organic vegetables for years to come, benefiting local pantries, community kitchens and volunteers themselves.
Beyond food production, the project has delivered significant wellbeing benefits. Volunteers worked together outdoors, learned practical skills, shared knowledge and enjoyed the satisfaction of completing a substantial community project. Several volunteers became mentors, supporting others to develop confidence and new abilities.
For many participants, the garden has become an important social space. The organisation reports that a large proportion of volunteers regard their time at the garden as the highlight of their week, helping to reduce isolation and foster lasting friendships.
Volunteer Voices
The impact of the project is perhaps best reflected in the words of those involved:
"The impressive development of the garden in a relatively short time, as volunteers and the community worked together has been astonishing."
"Time spent in the garden passes quickly, with a sense of achievement, camaraderie and calm thrown in."
"I leave feeling better than I arrived."
"If I was not at the garden, I'd be sitting alone at home, playing games and bored out of my mind."
Partnership Working
The project was enhanced through support from a range of local partners. FMC donated cardboard that would otherwise have gone to recycling, James Adam and Son provided access to a JCB, and volunteers from organisations including HSBC, Fife College and FMC took part through corporate volunteering opportunities coordinated by Fife Voluntary Action. The group also benefited from support from XL Horticulture and joined the Ecology Centre Tool Library, helping to maximise the impact of the Trust's funding.
A Lasting Impact
The project brought together more than 20 volunteers, delivered 15 volunteering sessions and generated 301 volunteer hours. Thanks to the dedication of everyone involved, The Sanctuary Garden now has an impressive new growing space that will increase food production, support biodiversity, improve wellbeing and strengthen community connections for many years to come.
Project Summary
Organisation: The Sanctuary Garden Project
Project: The Sanctuary Garden Polytunnel
Grant Award: £1,500
Trust Priorities: Health & Wellbeing, Poverty Alleviation, Reducing Loneliness
Key Outcomes: Completion of a commercial polytunnel, increased food-growing capacity, 301 volunteer hours, skills development, reduced social isolation and greater access to nutritious food.