A community garden in Paignton which provides fresh produce and wellbeing activities for local people, has expanded its rainwater harvesting capabilities thanks to support from South West Water.
HealthScape CIC, a community interest company (CIC) which aims to improve people’s wellbeing and mental health, applied for support to make improvements to the garden to support people across Paignton by offering them with opportunities to garden, learn new skills, and take part in wellbeing sessions.
The garden is run in partnership with Shekinah and the Jatis Project – two charities that support people facing a variety of issues including homelessness, social exclusion, and drug and alcohol issues to help them to recover and rebuild their lives.
Thanks to support from South West Water’s Water-Saving Community Fund, Healthscape CIC has been able to install a new rainwater harvesting system in the garden that supplies four 1,000-litre ice baths, three poly tunnels, 40 raised beds, and an orchard.
The harvested rainwater is then used across gardening and wellbeing activities, with any surplus water recycled to irrigate plants and poly tunnels - saving an estimated 208,000 litres of water each year.
The new system collects rainwater efficiently from two pitched roofs, storing it in large tanks for use across the site.
The initiative not only reduces reliance on mains water but also brings wider benefits to the community.
Volunteers who run the community garden include service providers who work with Healthscape CIC, Shekinah and the Jatis Project, as well as people who use their services.
Paul Richards from HealthScape CIC said:
“Thanks to South West Water’s Water-Saving Community Fund, we’ve been able to put a proper rainwater harvesting system in place, which has transformed what we can do.
“It means we can water our gardens, provide ice baths, and grow fresh produce without worrying about the cost of water. This isn’t just helping our project — it’s supporting hundreds of people every year through gardening, wellbeing activities, and access to fresh food.”
Paul Dommett, Water Efficiency Delivery Manager at South West Water, said:
“We wanted to support Healthscape CIC with this fantastic project because it’s already making a real difference to people across Devon.
“Our Water-Saving Community Fund is about helping local projects to thrive, and Shekinah Grow shows how sustainability, water conservation and wellbeing can come together to benefit the whole community.”
With the support of the Water-Saving Community Fund, Shekinah Grow continues to provide safe, open spaces for people to connect with nature, develop new skills, and improve wellbeing – all while reducing environmental impact.
Since its launch in 2021, South West Water’s Water-Saving Community Fund has supported local not-for-profit organisations and community groups with projects that promote sustainability, conserve water, and strengthen local communities.
Last year, the fund supported 21 projects and helped to save over 2.7million litres of water.
Applications are now open for South West Water’s Water Saving Community Fund, with £48,000 available to support larger projects worth up to £10,000 a year. The deadline for applications is 30 September.
For more information about the fund, and for details on how to apply, visit our Water Saving Community Fund page.