The charity also ensures that the voices of local people, volunteers, and participants inform their work through their volunteer and community forums. These forums help the charity to make decisions and contribute to their strategic planning. Scotswood is a truly user-led and collaborative charity which has meant that many volunteers benefit from attending the gardens.
Alongside funding, Scotswood Natural Community Garden has received additional development support. This support includes strategic planning, marketing, and help to implement a cloud-based system which will allow the charity to evaluate their impact better:
"It has been really useful, especially the consultant that came and helped us to develop our business plan and identify what training could further support us. We had looked at potential training opportunities, but she helped us narrow down what would benefit us most. We also worked with someone to develop our social media calendar and think about our marketing strategies. Our social media presence is so much better now!"
Like many charities, 2020 was a challenging year for Scotwood as they had to adapt to delivering services under COVID-19 restrictions. However, the staff and volunteers worked hard to ensure the gardens could remain open where possible. Karen Dobson, the charity's CEO, tells us that: