Grow Food Grow Dunoon at Struan Lodge - Keep growing food, keep growing Dunoon, keep supporting people.

With support from Dunoon Community Development Trust, the volunteer-led Grow Food Grow Dunoon project has transformed an underused green space and established a food growing site in the grounds of the council owned and run dementia care home at Struan Lodge.  

The project has enabled multiple groups to learn about food growing in a safe and inclusive environment, including young people from Dunoon Grammar School Learning Centre, ASIST social inclusion project and participants in a University of the Highlands and Islands horticultural course. 

Alongside the main growing site there is also a large patio area that has the potential to be developed as a therapeutic garden ‘Struan Lodge Green Haven’.  

The project has delivered multiple benefits to the community of growers, to staff working at the facility and to residents of the care home. Outcomes include the introduction of food waste composting at the care facility, improvements to outdoor seating and space, increased biodiversity, creative workshops for staff and residents, and an increased level food growing at a local level. 

The project is volunteer led. Investment into the site has come via a variety of funding bodies and through local partnerships.  

The site is made available to Dunoon Community Development Trust on a month by month licence basis. The garden and growing site demonstrate how partnership working can maximise the benefits of green spaces owned by Argyll and Bute Council and support these spaces work for the benefit of the local community to improve wellbeing and climate resilience.  

Local Place Plan 

• Argyll and Bute Council to provide a long-term lease for this land  as a growing and garden site so that partners can raise investment to develop the facility. 

Community Action Plan 

• Work with stakeholders to secure funding to develop the therapeutic garden at Struan Lodge and investment to ensure that this vital care facility is sustained over the longer term. 

•  Explore funding and partnership opportunities to money to employ a community garden and food growing manager to work in partnership with the local authority and other community stakeholders to replicate this model across Dunoon.