Community Story: Martineau Gardens

For our next article spotlighting a recent recipient of a Community Matters Fund (Green Spaces 2026) grant from National Grid, we've travelled to Birmingham to find out about a fantastic project from Martineau Gardens. Luke Upton chatted with Juliette Green, their Environmental Education Lead and Fundraiser, about the gardens' long history, their therapeutic horticulture programme and how new raised beds will help volunteers of all abilities garden side by side.

Luke Upton (LU): Thanks for your time today, Juliette. To start, could you tell us a little about the origins of Martineau Gardens and how the organisation has evolved over the years?

Juliette Green (JG): Martineau Gardens has its roots in the 1950s, when the site was part of the Martineau Teachers' Centre, created to support and retain teachers in post-war Birmingham. By the 1960s it had become an environmental studies centre, offering schoolchildren hands-on learning across its rich mix of habitats.

After council funding ended in 1997, volunteers, former staff and supporters rallied to save the site, transforming it into one of Birmingham's longest-running community gardens. Over the past 25 years, Martineau Gardens has become a recognised hub for therapeutic horticulture, while continuing to deliver environmental education. Today, it stands as a testament to community action, resilience and decades of dedicated stewardship.

LU: What are you currently focusing on, and what are the main priorities for the organisation at the moment?

JG: Our work focuses on improving wellbeing for people experiencing poor mental health, disadvantage or other barriers to participation. We provide a safe, welcoming community green space where people can belong, contribute, build confidence and experience the restorative benefits of nature.

One of our main activities is therapeutic horticulture, where we work with adults and young people with a range of additional support needs. These fantastic volunteers work together to manage and maintain our beautifully biodiverse gardens for the benefit of wildlife and people, which in turn helps to improve their mental and physical health and wellbeing. We also deliver environmental education visits for local schools, open-access wellbeing activities, events and venue hire. We are open to the public, free of charge, six days a week.

Alongside our core activities, we are raising funds for a new community building, which will provide vital indoor working space for our therapeutic horticulture volunteers, schools and other groups.

LU: You've recently received funding through National Grid and Localgiving's Community Matters Fund (Green Spaces) 2026. Could you tell us more about the project, what the funding will support and what you hope to achieve?

JG: Several of our gardening volunteers have physical disabilities or significantly reduced mobility. This funding will allow us to build raised beds so volunteers of all abilities can garden side by side and benefit from the therapeutic, social and team-based nature of our activities.

We will also buy wildlife-friendly plants for the raised beds, and bird and bat box kits for volunteers to assemble during the winter months. These offer enjoyable, purposeful tasks that enhance our site's biodiversity. We are immensely grateful to National Grid Electricity Distribution for their generous support of this part of our therapeutic horticulture programme.

LU: How important is grant funding like this to Martineau Gardens, and what difference does it make to the work you're able to deliver in the community?

JG: Grant funding is essential to us. As a small independent charity with no statutory funding, it directly enables us to support some of Birmingham's most vulnerable and disadvantaged people. Funding from programmes like the Community Matters Fund from National Grid and Localgiving allows us to offer our therapeutic horticulture sessions, wellbeing activities, public entry and many of our community events at no cost, so that financial barriers never prevent people from accessing nature-based support.

It also strengthens the foundation that makes our work possible: the time, care and commitment our volunteers give so generously. In short, grant funding sustains our ability to offer inclusive, meaningful and life-enhancing opportunities for the community. Without it, much of what we do simply wouldn't be possible

LU: Brilliant. Beyond financial support, what do you think would make the biggest difference to your organisation and the communities you support?

JG: Greater awareness of just how transformative time in nature can be for mental health and wellbeing. Across Birmingham, many neighbourhoods face severe green deprivation, with people having little or no access to safe, inclusive green space. Small charities like Martineau Gardens quietly fill that gap, offering places of welcome, reducing loneliness and helping people reconnect with their community. Ultimately, wider recognition of our role would help ensure that everyone has the chance to experience the grounding, healing connection between nature and community.

LU: And finally, is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers, such as upcoming projects, events, achievements or other ways people can get involved?

JG: We'd love your readers to come and experience Martineau Gardens for themselves: the calm, restorative atmosphere, the wildlife, the biodiversity and the sense of welcome that makes this place so special. Whether you drop in for a peaceful wander round the woods, join us for one of our community events, or simply enjoy a cup of tea and a friendly chat, you'll be supporting a space that helps people feel connected, grounded and part of something meaningful.

 You may also be interested in: 

• Community Story: In the Mix Project
• Community Story: Camborne Cluster of Churches
• Are you ready for the Christmas fundraising rush?
• Community Story: Stonebridge City Farm 

Localgiving is a leading online fundraising platform and grant delivery partner, focused on supporting small charities, CICs and community organisations. Since 2010, we've helped thousands of groups across the UK raise tens of millions of pounds and make a meaningful impact in their local communities. 

Our platform offers an easy-to-use suite of powerful fundraising tools alongside AI-powered support for finding and applying for grants—equipping organisations with everything they need to grow and succeed.

We also collaborate with major partners, including National Grid and Scottish Power, to deliver corporate grant programmes and connect funding with the communities that need it most.

Join Localgiving today and unlock new opportunities to supercharge your fundraising.

---> Get started with Localgiving with our free 14-day trial