UK: community farm and garden groups on the rise in the UK

A charity in the UK that champions community farms and gardens is helping push the need for healthier, greener and closer-knit neighbourhoods towards the top of the political agenda. The Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens (FCFGG) says its membership has grown to record levels in the past year, with initiatives springing up across the UK as more people take action to improve their local environment, according to the charity's annual report. FCFGG director, Jeremy Iles, says: "The word growth is obviously one with a lot of meaning for our community of city farmers and community gardeners, and growth is what our year has been all about. "The groups we represent bring enormous benefits to their local communities by creating a whole range of social, educational, environmental and employment benefits that make a real difference to people's lives." www.farmgarden.org.uk