The new garden, built by the Bridgend Farmhouse community in the capital’s southside, opened on August 18 and was developed in partnership with numerous groups including Multi-cultural Family Base, Peace and Justice Scotland and Home Link Family Support. Volunteers were key to completing the project on the edge of the Craigmillar and Insh estates, which includes numerous workshops, allotments growing fruit and vegetables, a bike hub, a café, offices, arts and woodwork spaces and even an eco-bothy. Khalid Bashir, a community gardening coordinator at Bridgend Farmhouse originally from Sudan, said he hoped the garden would provide a space for people of many different nationalities to come together.
READ MORE: Red squirrel spotted in Scottish town for first time in decades “I first left Sudan to do a degree in engineering in China and I came to Scotland about 20 years ago to do a Masters in management at Herriot Watt,” he said. “I am a Friend of the Sudanese School in Edinburgh and we have the kids round here at the community hub regularly. “We respect all the cultures.
The Sudanese children for example learn English, but they also learn their own Arabic language in the school because their parents don’t want them to forget their family language. “We’ve already had different groups visiting including Polish, Syrians, Ukrainians and the Sudanese. They have given us ideas for the Peace Garden.
Chair of Bridgend Community Farmhouse, John Knox, and board member Will.