A green space for everyone

Grow Speke is our community garden in south Liverpool, delivered in partnership with Groundwork.

  • Close-up of vibrant yellow flowers with blurred people and greenery in the background, suggesting an outdoor community activity or garden setting.

    About Grow Speke

    The Grow Speke site was once home to the Merseyside Youth Association Boys’ Club, which saw generations of young people taking part in sport and activity including football and boxing. Once the boys' club closed the site fell into disrepair and lay neglected for decades. But in 2017, work began to clear the site and bring it back into use to serve a new generation of South Liverpool residents.

  • Two adults and a child in a garden setting with raised beds and greenhouse structures. The adults wear light-colored shirts with logos, one holding a red mug. The child wears a green jacket and holds a box of gardening supplies, suggesting an educational or community gardening activity.

    Partnership

    Grow Speke is delivered thanks to a partnership between South Liverpool Homes and environmental charity, Groundwork. The site is home to a wide variety of activities that bring people together to connect with nature, learn new skills, and improve wellbeing.

    These include bee hives, outdoor fitness equipment, two ponds, arts and crafts sessions, and regular coffee mornings. Groundwork manages a team of local volunteers and oversee the day-to-day running of the garden, helping to make Grow Speke a welcoming and inclusive space for everyone.

  • Cluster of ripe red tomatoes on the vine, covered in water droplets, surrounded by lush green leaves.

    Fresh, local produce for local people

    Grow Speke produces fresh, local vegetables which are donated to The Market Place, South Liverpool Homes' community pantry.

    The Market Place aims to give members a £15 basket of food for just £3 with produce from Grow Speke supplementing food from FareShare and other sources. 

    Explore more here

Help our garden grow

Give something back to your local community. Learn new skills. Get fresh air, fun and friendship. Grow Speke is looking for volunteers!

The Grow Speke site is managed by staff from Groundwork but relies heavily on the generosity of local volunteers to develop and maintain the site. 

Get involved and you could play your part in creating a unique space that can be enjoyed by the whole community for years to come.

Our volunteers get involved in a variety of tasks including

  • Digging
  • Planting
  • Pruning
  • Weeding
  • Joinery
  • Painting
  • Keeping the site tidy

If you're a novice but would like to play your part, don't worry, our staff and experienced volunteers are here to help! 

Grow Speke has regular volunteer taster days. Come along, meet the staff and existing volunteers and see Grow Speke for yourself. You'll be hooked! You can devote as much or as little time as you want and there's no commitment.

Why volunteer at Grow Speke?

The Grow Speke site is managed by staff from Groundwork but relies heavily on the generosity of local volunteers to develop and maintain the site. 

Get involved and you could play your part in creating a unique space that can be enjoyed by the whole community for years to come.

What volunteer roles are available?

Our volunteers get involved in a variety of tasks including

  • Digging
  • Planting
  • Pruning
  • Weeding
  • Joinery
  • Painting
  • Keeping the site tidy

If you're a novice but would like to play your part, don't worry, our staff and experienced volunteers are here to help! 

How to volunteer

Grow Speke has regular volunteer taster days. Come along, meet the staff and existing volunteers and see Grow Speke for yourself. You'll be hooked! You can devote as much or as little time as you want and there's no commitment.

Beekeeping at Grow Speke

Added to Grow Speke in 2019, the apiary was set up in collaboration with Blackburne House after a successful scheme was developed in 2015 at Liverpool John Lennon Airport. Since then the project has really taken off and we now manage our hives independently at Grow Speke, creating engagement opportunities, helping the environment and, of course, producing honey!

A bumblebee collecting nectar from a vibrant purple flower, illustrating pollination in action."

We need bees! Bees are a species under threat and play a huge part in the ecosystem, fulfilling a vital function by pollenating plants, which produce the oxygen we breathe. We simply can’t live without them.

Two individuals in protective beekeeping suits and gloves holding a wooden frame covered with bees.

The apiary provides another way of getting involved at Grow Speke and learning some new skills. We’d love more people to come along and get to know us and our bees. Keep an eye on Grow Speke social media pages for sessions and opening times.

Stacked jars of 'Grow Speke Honey' with floral and bee-themed labels, showcasing locally produced honey.

One great by-product of our apiary is Grow Speke honey! With the right conditions Grow Speke can produce around 1,000 jars on honey each year, which we distribute to the local community. Follow our social media pages for more details of how to get hold of the sticky stuff!

Bees for the environment

We need bees! Bees are a species under threat and play a huge part in the ecosystem, fulfilling a vital function by pollenating plants, which produce the oxygen we breathe. We simply can’t live without them.

A bumblebee collecting nectar from a vibrant purple flower, illustrating pollination in action."
Bees for the people!

The apiary provides another way of getting involved at Grow Speke and learning some new skills. We’d love more people to come along and get to know us and our bees. Keep an eye on Grow Speke social media pages for sessions and opening times.

Two individuals in protective beekeeping suits and gloves holding a wooden frame covered with bees.
Grow Speke Honey

One great by-product of our apiary is Grow Speke honey! With the right conditions Grow Speke can produce around 1,000 jars on honey each year, which we distribute to the local community. Follow our social media pages for more details of how to get hold of the sticky stuff!

Stacked jars of 'Grow Speke Honey' with floral and bee-themed labels, showcasing locally produced honey.

Finding Speke's hidden garden

Finding a hidden garden can be a little tricky!

Grow Speke is located between Ganworth Road and Little Heath Road, at the Dam Wood Road end. Look out for the signs and our special Grow Speke alley gates! 

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