'It's about bringing people together': The community garden changing lives in Horsforth
A community garden in Horsforth Hall Park is doing more than growing fruit and vegetables - it is quietly reshaping how people in the area connect with each other.
Run by volunteers from the Friends of Horsforth Hall Park, the garden has developed over the past four years into a shared space where residents can learn, socialise, and spend time outdoors.
The idea first took root in 2021, when local resident Janet Little envisioned creating a place to grow food and bring people together. Since then, it has grown into what organisers describe as a “community asset,” supported in part by Leeds’ Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approach - a model focused on building on local strengths and connections.
Janet Galvin, a trustee of the group, said the garden has been built step by step through fundraising and volunteer efforts.
“The first thing was raising funding for the path, then the raised beds, and we’ve just gradually built it over time,” she told the Yorkshire Evening Post. “Last year we added a stone circle and benches, so now it’s really becoming a space people can sit and enjoy as well.”
Today, the garden features fruit trees, vegetable beds, and open areas for community use - but its real value lies in how it is used.
“We try to involve as many people as possible,” Janet said. “We’ve had schools, nurseries, families - people come to help harvest, plant seeds, or just spend time here. It’s for everyone.”
That sense of shared ownership is central to the project. The ABCD model behind it focuses on empowering residents to lead change in their own communities, something which has been shown to improve wellbeing and strengthen social ties across Leeds.
The garden was officially opened in 2025, drawing a large crowd of residents, volunteers, and local leaders - reflecting just how much support the project has built locally.
For those who volunteer regularly, the impact is often deeply personal.
Sue Bray has been involved since the early days and says the space has given her something invaluable.
“Being in a wheelchair now, I wanted somewhere accessible where I could come and connect to nature again,” she said. “I’ve always liked gardening, so this gives me that opportunity.”
Sue helps with everything from planting seeds to maintaining the beds and sharing produce with the community. But she says the benefits go far beyond gardening itself.
“It’s about bringing people together,” she said. “If people are feeling down, getting out into nature really helps. It’s important for health and wellbeing.”
Having lived in Horsforth for most of her life, she has seen the area grow and change - but believes spaces like the park remain essential.
“[Horsforth] has got bigger over the years, but the park hasn’t really grown with it,” she said. “That’s why it’s so important we look after places like this.”
Despite that, she says the town still offers something special.
“It’s all about the people, the park, and the community,” she said.
Back in the garden, that community spirit is easy to spot - whether it’s children from a local nursery learning how vegetables grow, volunteers working side by side, or residents simply stopping for a chat.
For Janet, that is exactly what the project set out to achieve.
“When people come together like this, they don’t just create something - they build friendships,” she said.
As Horsforth continues to grow, it is projects like this that help ensure it remains not just a place to live, but a place where people feel connected.
In our weekly In Your Corner series, we’re visiting suburbs across the city to explore the issues that matter to you. From a litter picking army in Pudsey and a historic church that’s the heart of the Armley community, to the independent businesses bringing Cross Gates to life, we’re shining a spotlight on the people of Leeds who bring every corner of our city together.