Bonny Downs Community Association has partnered with NewWay Project to run a horticultural training centre in our Community Garden, which will provide skills and employment for people experiencing homelessness.

The Garden has been a valued community space for many years, bringing people together through gardening activities, interfaith events, outdoor classrooms, and volunteering opportunities. We are incredibly proud of the positive impact the space has had on local residents and the wider community.

The public Community Gardening sessions will be closing, for us to enter this new chapter. Led by Newway Project, the new sessions will support people experiencing homelessness by providing practical training in gardening, food growing, landscaping, and environmental maintenance, alongside wellbeing support and pathways into employment and personal development. This will strengthen the relationship BDCA already has with Newway through their NewDay Centre provision at another of our venues, the Bobby Moore Sports Pavilion.

This new partnership reflects a shared commitment to creating opportunities for some of the most vulnerable members of our community, while ensuring the Garden continues to have a meaningful and lasting social impact.

Sarah Laing, CEO of BDCA, said, “While we know many people will be saddened that the garden will no longer have sessions for the general public, we are proud that the space will continue to serve the community in such an important way that honours BDCA’s values of inclusion and empowerment. The new horticultural training centre will be life-changing for people experiencing homelessness, by helping them to build confidence, employment skills, and a sense of belonging. We look forward to seeing the growth that develops because of it.”

Our last public Community Gardening session will be Saturday 30 May from 10 am to 1 pm. Newway Project will be starting the new project from 1 June 2026 during weekdays from 8 am to 3 pm. The Community Garden will still be available for private hire on weekday afternoons after 3 pm and all day on Saturdays.

BDCA would like to sincerely thank all the residents, volunteers, partners, and supporters who have contributed to the success of our Community Garden over the years. Your support helped create a welcoming and impactful space that will continue to benefit the community in a new and meaningful way.

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