This week we find out about how a local environmental community group are doing their bit to raise awareness of the fundamental need to reduce plastic and man-made waste from entering our water stream.

The Eager Beavers digging up the soil for the community garden.

This proactive community group, who call themselves the Eager Beavers of Tipton St John, formed in 2021 and since then have planted seeds and bulbs for bees and pollinators, placed numerous bug houses, bat and bird boxes throughout the village, test the water quality in the River Otter and regularly meet up to collect litter.

Most recently though, and with the support of £500 through our Small Community Grant, the Eager Beavers have created a community garden. Check it out:

Photo of the community garden.

This community garden or allotment area has been used to grow organic fruit and vegetables that are free for residents to take. This year, the strawberries were the most popular harvest, unsurprisingly! With the focus on the garden as organic, plastic and peat free has helped to raise awareness of how much better it is for us as well as the environment.

The Eager Beavers digging up soil for the community garden.

In addition, the garden is such a restful place to be. It’s a quiet haven in the corner of the playing field to sit and watch the bees and birds going about their business. The team have also expanded into an adjacent area where there’s a seated area on tree stumps and this has proven to be very popular too.

The community garden has been so successful in bringing people together and creating a new space in the village for everyone to enjoy. We are thrilled to have been involved in a project so positive and rewarding and we look forward to working with other local groups through our Small Community Grant scheme.