Gardening in a graveyard never looked better!
St Sidwell’s in Exeter is a welcoming inclusive group bringing people together, intent on strengthening the local community by providing a place to meet, garden, eat, learn, work, laugh and chat. All are welcome regardless of background, ability or circumstance. Facilities include a community cafe serving home made food and cakes, room hire, internet access, cookery classes and workshops, language classes, volunteering, training and work placement opportunities as well as gardens and gardening in and around the graveyard.
Based in a converted church complete with grounds and graveyard close to the center of Exeter, it is a surprisingly calm quiet oasis. In fact inhabitants include slow worms, newts, dragon flies, hedgehogs and frogs as well as countless other birds, animals and insects.
‘Waste Not Want Not’ is a policy at St Sid’s – so great care is taken to make the most of every resource, grow as much fresh produce as practical and recycle where possible. Food waste from the cafe was one of the the more difficult waste streams to deal with, so a commercial scale, catering sized, food waste recycling system was researched and a Ridan was the obvious solution. Because it can recycle all food waste, raw and cooked, including meat it is easy to use, and because it doesn’t need any electricity it can stand in the gardens where the compost will be used to grow more food.
So if you are able, pop in to St Sidwell’s in Exeter, enjoy the cafe, the food is excellent! And don’t leave without strolling through the graveyard and having a look at the excellent gardens which will be powered by the big green Ridan composter.
