Tauranga is set to gain another community garden, although sponsorship support and some building braun is needed to ensure it gets out of the ground.

The new garden, at 260 Welcome Bay Road, is a Tauranga Good Neighbour Trust initiative, and the public is being called upon to assist with its quick build on November 14, from 8am until noon. Morning tea will be provided. Postponement date is November 21.

Also required are businesses, individuals, or families willing to sponsor a garden. The community garden will comprise 30 individual plots.

Tauranga Good Neighbour Trust manager Cam Hill says finding sponsors for the gardens will enable the trust to deliver this garden project for the Welcome Bay Community.

'The gardens are $500 each and we still have 30 to sell,” Cam says.

Sponsorship pays for the garden construction and setup costs. The individual garden plots are then rented out to the community at $12.50 a month. Some people opt to rent a plot to grow food to give away. A number of the gardens are not rented and will be gardened to give away as needs arise.

Pacific Toyota has purchased one, and issued the challenge to other businesses to do the same. Carmel Country Estate Retirement Village residents have also committed to the project.

'Our sponsors will have their names on the Community garden notice board and will receive our email newsletters to keep them informed regarding the progress of Good Neighbour Activities, which will include the gardens,” Cam says.

The Welcome Bay project will mark the third community garden established by the Trust – allotments have been established at Oumoetai and Bethlehem. The plan is to build others throughout Tauranga.

'Community gardens enable families to get cheaper, healthier and fresher food and to grow friendships and thereby cultivate vibrant communities while tending to their produce,” Cam enthuses.

The establishment of community gardens, as well as the implementation of a food rescue service, and running of various neighbourhood projects are all arms of this Trust's charitable service. Neighbourhood projects provide practical support to families who have hit a bump in life's road, Cam explains. Assistance can include accessing firewood or carrying out garden maintenance, for example, he says.

Good Neighbour is looking for a premise to operate from.

'We need a place where volunteers, and administration staff can work out of. Ideally, the premises will also us to develop a commercial kitchen and cafe to integrate education around food and waste minimisation. Profits would go back to the community.”