New Brighton Community Gardens

Around Christchurch Ōtautahi there are so many unique suburbs and within these, there are amazing communities and initiatives that deserve the spotlight. One such example is the New Brighton Community Gardens, which were established back in 2005 by a group of locals and in the almost twenty years since it continues to go from strength to strength.

The original idea behind the garden, which still holds true today, was to provide an organic environment for volunteers to learn how to grow produce. It has always been the intention for this space to welcome everyone with open arms and the community spirit is alive and well here. Local businesses have been big supporters of the gardens, showing how much value the space is adding to New Brighton. There are even school programmes up and running, which have proven to be very successful and play an important role in educating young minds on how to care for their environment.

Catherine and Lin, who manage and run different aspects behind the scenes at New Brighton Community Gardens, describe the space as flourishing, peaceful, diverse and full of kindness. It is rare for visitors or volunteers to leave the gardens empty-handed or empty-hearted. They encourage anyone, locals or not to come and spend some time at the gardens and to learn more about what might be operating in their own suburbs too, as they are such an asset to any community.

So next time you are down at the pier or the beach in New Brighton, it’s worth factoring in a detour to the New Brighton Community Gardens. See for yourself the power of neighbours working together and how we can best treat the environment around us.