Cosmolocalism and CANs - with locals and refugees - at Manchester Urban Diggers (MUD) and their market garden
“Bring refugees and local people together to grow food, and support our garden to stay open all year round.”
That’s the fundraising aim of MUD (Manchester Urban Diggers) who describe themselves thus:
From our home at Platt Fields Market Garden, MUD provides free meals for thousands of people, creates a haven for wildlife, and is a unique gathering place for the community.
For seven years, we’ve been learning and growing naturally – becoming a reflection of local people, their knowledge, heritage, stories, skills.
We’ve attracted volunteers from all over Greater Manchester to grow food, build bonds and prove what is possible when we share our passions, our time, and a meal together.
They’re looking for funds - which will be match-funded by Aviva - to support their “Strong Roots” programme:
The weekly sessions bring asylum seekers, refugees and friends of all ages out of isolation.
Together we celebrate different cultures, their foods and growing methods, and invite participants to cook together – sharing recipes and stories from their homeland.
For those stuck in contingency hotels, people not allowed to work or connect with their new country, this programme is a way to find a sense of purpose and a feeling of home, again.
“Every week that I come I do some different gardening activities and learn new things. When I see the greenery of the garden it improves my mental wellbeing. I have struggles in life and when I have a place like this I feel at home. I feel safe and that I can share my struggles and have conversations about them. I am asking for this project to continue because it helps people like me. It means a lot to me.” - Evelyne, Strong Roots participant.
“In my role working with asylum seekers in the area, I come across many people who need to not just go out of the hotel but also a sense of purpose – somewhere to meet other people, somewhere safe for them and their families, where they can learn together. They report that after a day spent in the garden they sleep much better – reducing some of the visits to the doctor for depression and or anxiety. There is nothing else like this in Greater Manchester.” - Jennifer Anderson, MRSN coordinator
This combination of place, conviviality, practice, discussion, exchange and fun together - but with links to the wider world beyond the local - is what we’ve been calling cosmolocalism, in the form of CANs (community agency networks), for some years now. And it seems, increasingly, they’re everywhere…