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About the project
One of the aims of the Foundation has always been to support the local community. Both through our ventures in the arts and the natural world, we seek to bring together members of the local community through shared passions. The Living Landscape Community Project was devised as the perfect way to give people the opportunity to come together, grow food and to help manage the land in a sustainable, ecologically-sound way.Â
While SCAF is first and foremost an arts organisation, our roots go deeper. Our benefactors, Michael and Eileen Scott were plant biologists in their early careers and constantly questioned and explored our place within nature. This too is a passion for our founder, Sue Armstrong, who believes that art, science and nature are as one. Especially if we are to lead healthy balanced lives. You don't have to be an artist to be part of our SCAF community.
The gardens
Spread across what was once a field within a dairy farm and then a wild garden, our community garden now contains a multitude of vibrant and thriving plants. From the raised beds, polytunnel, and fruit trees, the land has become a rich source of organic fruit and veg right on SCAF’s doorstep.
JOIN US...
Do you want to grow food to share and enjoy, create a landscape and be part of a community?
Our field at SCAF is the perfect setting for volunteers living within a 5 mile radius to come together and immerse themselves in the joy of working with plants and landscape.
COULD THIS BE FOR YOU?
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Do you love growing and caring for plants?
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Would you like the opportunity to grow and share vegetables and fruit with others working alongside you?
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Do you love working on projects and seeing ideas come to life?
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Would you love to be a member of a like-minded team?
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Do you have some spare time and energy to be a volunteer for a local charity?
If your answers to these questions is yes, then we are looking for you. The project is managed by DBS checked members of the charity; we have done full risk assessment, have insurance in place and a qualified First Aider on site. We will provide the tools you need for the job:
How we’ve grown
SCAF moved to the Thirsk site in May 2021, refurbished what is now our Head Office and started planning for the future. In 2023 we created a mound, which we planted up with wild flowers that gave us a splendid display over the spring and summer months, providing pollen for insects and habitat for a rich diversity of insects, birds and mammals. The grass was left standing in the field with mown paths enabling us all to enjoy the natural beauty. In 2024 our Living Landscape Community Project was launched and with just a handful of volunteers we began the journey of transformation for the field. In 2025 we joined the Together We Grow scheme run by the Peoples Food and Farming Alliance (PFFA) as one of twelve UK flagship projects and to stay close to our artistic roots we introduced sculpture into the garden for the first time to complement the vegetables and flowers and enrich our environment.