Because of Covid, although we did our best throughout to grow the garden and create activities, we found it difficult ti maintain the website. This then is a catchup for people to enjoy.

In February 2020 we created our GROWING AN ORCHARD  project, and joined with St Mary's school to organize a sponsored litter pick-up event to raise money for the orchard.

In August 2020 the garden was ripe for harvesting. With the children on holiday, we created a glut stall just outside the school garden gate and invited anyone in the surrounding area to come and take their pick of the bounty, allowing people to take food for free, or it they wished, to make a small donation which went to the support of our gardeners and for other things to keep the garden running.

To this day the glut stall continues but now in front of St Swithuns Church, in the centre of town. Shops, farmers and local gardeners have and continue to contribute fresh fruits and vegetables to it.

In May 2021 we arranged a Garden Visit for parents and others to come and enjoy the garden. Meanwhile, the Edible Garden becomes an Allotment Ambassador for Bridport Food Matters.

In May 2021, A team from Bridport Food Matters visited the Edible Garden and set up a pop-up kitchen. 
Year fives joined the team to help make a 2 course meal and food 'bunting'.

In June 2021, a second visit took place at Bridport Primary to discuss an on-going clearing of the potential garden area, and for plans to be made for HOME IN BRIDPORT and TRANSITION TOWN, Bridport (the two groups who work collaboratively at St Marys), to have access and take a certain amount of responsibility, while learning to engage and involve the school's teachers and staff, the parents and children and other groups who have an interest in the wellbeing of the school.

July 2021, we had a (Covid) delayed Building An Orchard opening, attended by Mayor Bark, who unveiled a plaque designed by Jemma Thompson in front of an invited audience of families. Martin Maudsley, our local storyteller and musician, entertained the gathering.

Again in July, 2021 we are invited to Sir John Colfox Academy School to discuss bring our experiences to the school. Perhaps we can help them to reshape their garden, to make it more child friendly and to re-activate the broken glass house and areas for fruit and vegetable growing.

In July 2021, we return to Bridport Primary to begin more detailed clearing of smaller non-organic toxic and dangerous materials, and building a 4 sectioned compost heap from donated pallets.

In August 2021, volunteers construct a new poly-tunnel from the remains of the previous structure found earlier, while other members continue to chop and pick and clear and while plans are studied and discussed.

 In September 2021, Tia Perrela, Sarah Wilberforce and Robert Golden meet with representatives of Bridport Primary's School Council and Deputy Headteacher, Mrs Le Gassick, to discuss the children's ideas for the garden - what they would like to grow and eat from the garden and how they wish to take part.

We wish to thank everyone and all organizations
who have made this work possible over the years.
Ernest Hecht Charitable Trust
The National Lottery
Dorset Council
Bridport Town Council
Kitson and Trotman
Nantes
Rotary Club of Bridport
Ernest Cook Trust
Wessex Water
Co-op Local Community Fund
The Minerva Learning Trust
Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty 
Beacon Church
The team partnership that delivers the Edible Garden Project is:
HOME IN BRIDPORT
TRANSITION TOWN BRIDPORT
OPERA CIRCUS

It has been so busy that it has been impossible to update this website for a couple of years. Many apologies to all those who have been working so hard on so many projects, to our partners and funders. This is about to change.

These stills images are from a new documentary made by Robert Golden called This Good Earth.
A trailer for the film will follow shortly with a programme of talks, interviews, screenings, downloads and much else. 

We would like to thank the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, AONB, in Dorset, the National Lottery through Awards for All and Dorset Council (when it was WDDC) as well as everyone involved who gave their time to be interviewed and to participate with such generosity and helpfulness.  

So much has happened at the Edible Garden at St. Mary's Primary School in Bridport and we will create a whole page on this site to catch you up with all that is going on and all the plans for the future.  We are very excited that a first conversation is happening with Bridport Primary School to talk about the possibility of the Edible Garden 2. Out first meeting is on the 9th September and more news soon.

We would like to thank the Ernest Hecht Charitable Foundation for all the support they have given to the Edible Garden project including currently enabling us to buy electrical equipment for the garden and the new orchard and hedges, mending the Cobb oven and with Daryl Chambers and his team who are building a tree house and peace garden for the school.

There are plans for events when safety allows and we will be letting everyone know more once the schools have opened.  We hope to be able to celebrate Earth Day in October and the World Day of Human Rights with Bridport's Rights Respecting Town on December 10th. 

Currently the Edible Garden team and wonderful volunteers are gathering the garden and allotment gluts which are available from a stall outside St. Mary's Primary School, Bridport on Wednesdays between 10.30 and 12.30 in the morning.  Thank you to everyone involved in this wonderful scheme. What's left over goes to the community fridge. 

We would specifically like to thank Sarah Wilberforce, Tia Perella and Mitch Burt for their commitment to the garden and to Transition Town Bridport who have worked side by side with HOME and Opera Circus.  St. Mary's kitchen team led by Amanda Downes work alongside the garden and in particular encouraging the children of the school to try new fresh garden produce and salads.  We would like to thank the school, the Head Teacher and Staff for all their involvement and enthusiasm. There is now a real commitment to community support and an atmosphere of working together for the benefit of all who participate in the life of the school, the children and their families.  Leaflet design by Delphine Jones.

The HOME PROJECT allotment has been and is continuing to be a great success and a real testament to how providing a little incentive spins into a wonderful community effort and sharing. People help each other, pull, dig, weed, water to make their communal garden grow. They share recipes and rhubarb crumble.Under workshop leader, Rebecca (Becs) Garner, the allotment is becoming a wonderful addition to the quality of life on the Skilling Estate.

Savouring Dorset (working title) will be a documentary about the state of the UK’s food and farming industries at this critical time in Britain’s history. These two combined sectors of food production are financially larger than the aerospace and the car industries. The film will show different sectors of the industry from small to large arable farming, dairy, fruit and vegetable growing and will offer an overview linking farming and food production (for instance cheese and bread making) to the state of the countryside’s flora, fauna and soil, to the state of markets and regulations - to the health and wellbeing of people and the planet. It will concentrate on West Dorset but have far broader relevance.

HOME IN BRIDPORT is developing this because it will service the culture, the heritage and the economy of the community as did the first SAVOURING WEST DORSET. We are hoping to raise sufficient funds to make an hour and a half documentary which will have appeal beyond the region of West Dorset. ​

The HOME IN BRIDPORT PROJECT have helped to establish a new allotment near the Princess Road Flats in Skilling, with the help of Rebecca Garner. With great energy, 5 people set into the task as their children explored the great outdoors. Everyone is hoping that their community efforts will lead to an exchange of support and ideas, as well as a sharing of the planed fruits and vegetables, Later several more people joined in.

On Friday the 27th of March HOME IN BRIDPORT and Transition Town Bridport with the wonderful support and contribution of Sarah Wilberforce created a set of treats for children in the schools' garden. Delicious food and a special hot chocolate were made and offered by the head gardner and cook Tia Perrella, broad beans were planted by some of the children who attended, Easter Eggs were designed and Martin Maudsley provided silly stories and songs to thrill all. Despite the occasional drizzle, everyone found entertainment and conversation inside the polytunnels and the tent provided by Sarah and Sam Wilberforce. About 30 people attended including three school governors and the head teacher, Helen Farmer.   

The DEMOCRACY IN BRIDPORT 2015 celebration was born out of the HOME IN BRIDPORT project. I was planning on making a film and a photo-essay about how democracy is practiced in a small western European town. I thought of it as a universal expression about what the condition of democracy is today. Although it is a system superior to others, there is an ever-increasing critique of cabinet government, the rise of the national security state and the threat to social harmony fostered by rising economic inequality.

Many people are alienated to politicians, elections and often to local participation and there are rising signs of racist and fascist activity.

I feel this is a vital time for all of us to look at what we believe and care about as a community. Since my HOME exhibition in 2012 seemed to stir people into asking questions, I believe that likewise, this project may do the same.

As a consequence of the workshops held by HOME from May 2013 through August 2014, virtually everyone involved wanted to participate in the development of the Democracy project.

Many people have joined and offered ideas and new skills in puppet making, dance and music. Its perspective and depth has grown with these increased contributions.

By sheer coincidence, this is the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, whose fundamental idea that all people should be treated equally under the law, served as a spark to illuminate democracy in Europe. At the same time, the town council wish to encourage the people of Bridport to contribute to the rewriting of the town’s own charter, a consequence of the Magna Carta.

We will encourage young and old to become excited by the towns heritage, and will help people to newly see its 1000 listed buildings, and how its religious, civil and industrial history played a part in its developing democracy. This will be accomplished through workshops, theatrical pieces, an exhibition, musical events and other offerings.

At the moment, we are waiting for funding news but would like to ask if there are any local crafts people or artists who would decorate 8 small ballot boxes as receptacles for the charter questionnaire that will be placed around town. 

Robert Golden