Temple Memorial Park Volunteer Rangers

Temple Memorial Park Volunteer Rangers are a group who look after a 175 acre site which was gifted to the people of South Tyneside in recognition of their contribution to WW2.  We have cleared the site of decades of accumulated rubbish and now tie bin bags to lampposts which we collect twice weekly.

We have formed a link with Central Surgery, a GP practice in South Shields and together we are planning a community food forest within the park.

The planting of food forests date back thousands of years.  A variety of trees & plants create a sustainable food source for the local community. The many benefits include: –

-social connections between people from different backgrounds

-healthy activity adapted for those with disabilities

-time in nature therapeutic for mental health

-free healthy food

-trees & plants clean the air

-attract wildlife

-help tackle our global climate emergency

There are few things we can do with no downsides and so many benefits.

We are involving as many groups as possible in the planting and care of the food forest and the food produced will be available to everyone.

The first harvests for some food will be within 2-3 years, others will take longer but the forest will mature and be added to over many years and continue to provide for generations to come.

Donations will be used to buy trees and other plants.  All planting will by volunteers.

Let’s create an amazing food forest and show areas what can be done.