Meet the pair growing veg on 'neglected' land

Pointing towards a stretch of grassy land beside a busy road in Nottingham, Paul Cox says "we want to bring forgotten green spaces like these back to life".

Mr Cox, 50, founded the Nottz Garden Project, an initiative that repurposes green spaces in urban areas by growing fruit and vegetables on "neglected" land.

He runs the project alongside Micha Bradshaw, the organisation's only full-time colleague, and together they look after five plots of land in Radford and Hyson Green, with two more due to open in the coming weeks.

The pair say they want to encourage more people from inner-city areas to get involved in gardening, and host sessions to help "break down" the barriers in accessing the hobby.

Mr Cox's passion for gardening started at an early age, when his dad owned an allotment in Hyson Green where they would spend weekends growing produce together.

As he got older, he felt access to gardening was limited in urban areas, and that local green spaces were left "neglected and under-utilised".

But now he hopes his project will contribute to changing that.

"We're about taking over places, making them attractive places to be, and growing fruit and veg in areas that are usually more deprived," he said.

"Access to gardening can be scarce in areas where people don't have their own gardens or local green spaces.

"There's a massive need for help in these communities."

The gardens cost about £3,000 per year to run, and they get their funding from a mixture of fundraisers, as well as the National Lottery Community Fund.

Mr Cox says the project gains access to the land either through private agreements with landowners, or Nottingham City Council.

The avid gardener started by growing food on his own allotment, and delivering it to local food bank Himmah in 2021.

That is where he spotted Gamble Street - the first space they went on to occupy in 2023.

He said: "We took over Gamble Street as it was near the food bank and was left in a state - full of rubbish and syringes.

"These areas of the city are often overlooked - but we saw this as potential to grow produce on and host gardening workshops for people."

They now grow fruits and vegetables on the land all year round, including non-native vegetables like callaloo, for both the food bank and community to use.

Micha Bradshaw, 35, is a former nurse but now works full-time on the project, and says activities like gardening have improved her life.

"My childhood was far from the best, but the key memories I have is with my grandparents gardening and visiting green spaces," she said.

As part of the project, Miss Bradshaw returned to her former primary school in St Ann's to teach children about the importance of green spaces and sustainability in schools.

She added: "I always wanted to get more inner-city children engaged with green spaces and learning about the benefits of fresh fruit and vegetables - so this [project] was perfect.

"It seems like a very middle class hobby, but it should be for everyone.

"The costs for fresh products in supermarkets is robbing people blind - so teaching people how to grow their own produce in areas like these will transform lives."

A spokesperson for Himmah Food Bank said: "What started in 2021 with Nottz Garden Project has blossomed into a powerful partnership.

"The project has provided a much-needed lifeline to local families struggling with food insecurity. It has also created a welcoming space for volunteers, neighbours, and food bank users to come together, grow food, and support one another."

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