Brentford has opened the Gtech Community Garden, a space for Bees fans and the local community to enjoy when visiting Gtech Community Stadium.
The garden, located on Lionel Road South near the steps to the west stand, was created to cultivate nature within the community and forms part of our efforts to protect and enhance the environment.
Fans will be able to see our new garden at our final pre-season friendly against Wolfsburg tomorrow.
Members of the sustainability working group who helped with the garden’s creation will also be present at the space. They will be handing out boxes of seed balls for fans to take home and plant to increase biodiversity in their local area.
The space’s development was supported by Brentford’s official partner Gtech and designed by Cultivate London, an independent social enterprise and charity looking to improve the natural environment in London.
Exploring the Gtech Community Garden
The Gtech Community Garden has almost 25 plant species ranging from wildflowers, such as betony flowers to ornamental and mixed herbs like sage and rosemary.
Many of our plants were planted by fans from our sustainability working group who regularly meet with the club to discuss sustainability-related initiatives.
The working group consists of fans from Bees United, Brentford Independent Association of Supporters (BIAS) and the Sustaina-Bees, an independent group for Brentford supporters with knowledge and concern about the environmental crisis.
The various species in the garden help to attract different pollinators such as hoverflies, moths, as well as bees, which are declining across the UK and globally.
To support the bee population, a solitary beehive has been created which offers them a safe nesting place.
The Gtech Community Garden is also home to our memorial bed, a dedicated space where we honour and remember Brentford fans who are no longer with us.
Brentford’s sustainability manager James Beale said: “We are pleased to have transformed this space on Lionel Road into a community garden that everyone can enjoy.
“Nature is integral to our efforts to become more sustainable. We wanted to create a healthy environment around us for our community. This garden helps support that idea with its plant species which attract many different pollinators.
"This couldn’t have been done without the huge support of our club partner, Gtech. We’re also grateful to Cultivate London who helped create the garden.
“We’re excited to see how this garden develops and know that our fans will be at the heart of its evolution.”