Climate Challenge Fund
Background
Bannockburn House is partially built on coal wealth. Coal has significantly added to C02 emissions and man-made climate change. To help combat this we are renovating the gardens to grow food, plant trees and re-establish the orchards.
Climate Challenge Fund
This will not only provide our volunteers, contractors, supporters and community with beautiful earthly surroundings, it will play a part in reducing the impact of climate change. We are able to do this with the financial, educational and informative help from the Climate Challenge Fund (CCF).
Project Aims
The CCF project aims to re-establish 4 acres of our estate for fruit and vegetable production, which will:
- Impact behavioural change on carbon usage, food behaviour and attitudes intensively with 150+ people who will volunteer, grow food, and undertake training on fruit and vegetable production
- Increase local food growing through fruit & vegetable production, reducing food waste and preparing immediately local food
- Educate the community regarding carbon literacy, local food growing, field-to-plate food preparation and minimising food waste, working with 1500+ people through social media activity and events
Project Activities
To achieve the CCF project aims and objectives we will complete the following activities:
- Clear the semi-derelict Orchards and Walled Gardens sites
- Establish a water supply
- Set-up largescale composting systems
- Re-establish and extend the derelict orchard and walled gardens
- Revamp the Victorian cold frame system
- Employ gardeners
- Establish 4 acres of vegetable, soft and orchard fruit
A lot of this work has already started, and some completed already, here are just a few images of the work completed.
Climate Education
Not only has the CCF project assisted with this great work in the gardens of the house but are also providing a carbon literacy educational programme for our volunteers and local community. These include:
- Carbon literacy leading to behavioural change integrated into all training activities
- Food preparation and production
- Orchard care
- Organic gardening and vegetable production
- Field-to-plate processing
- Minimising food waste
- Carbon issues in transport to our site
Pedal Bike Smoothies
The educational programme also included the Forth Environment Link providing services at our events, such as pedal bike smoothies and apple pressing.
Cookery Workshops
The CCF have provided our dedicated volunteers with a series of cookery workshops in partnership with the Forth Environment Link, as part of the educational programme. To engage and educate on how to take produce from the field to plate.
