IF you\u2019ve got a green thumb and some spare time to give, head to the Long Gully Community Garden\u2019s volunteer drive next week.<\/p>\n
Garden facilitator Jonathan Ridnell said anyone was welcome at the induction next Thursday, 10 February from 10am.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really keen to find people with a whole variety of skills from never having planted a seed right up to those people who will be able to tell me what to do,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn my mind\u2019s eye, what I\u2019d love is to have that cross section of people from across Bendigo who would like to learn more, connect with likeminded people who like gardening, and people who may think \u2018I haven\u2019t been out of the house for a while, it might be nice to pop down\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Under the auspices of the Long Gully Neighbourhood Centre, the garden\u2019s produce contributes to the organisation\u2019s pop-up pantry, as well as a people\u2019s pantry at the nearby St Matthew\u2019s Church, and Bendigo Foodshare.<\/p>\n
Mr Ridnell said volunteering in the community space could have a wide range of benefits for those involved.<\/p>\n
\u201cI see this sitting on a spectrum of \u2018gardening produces food\u2019 right through to that whole idea of the process of doing it is good for your emotional, mental and physical health,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is really about finding who is interested, what their capacity is and then working with that to create different programs that will maximise the benefits of the garden but more importantly for those members of the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Prospective volunteers are encouraged to bring a hat, bottle of water and their own pair of secateurs, if they have any, to the induction.<\/p>\n