Derelict car park in Salford transformed into MUD’s newest community garden

A once unused derelict car park in Salford has now been transformed into a community garden.

Mona Street, just a five-minute walk from Salford Precinct, is hidden just off the top of Broughton Road.

Manchester Urban Diggers, better known as MUD, has come together with the Salford Health Improvement team to renovate and redesign the space for a place where the community can come together.

MUD is a non-profit organisation established in 2019 which is dedicated to finding solutions to problems with local food systems.

Organisations such as MOUP, For The Love Of Food, Salford City Council and the NHS are also involved, using the space for workshops, charitable events, teaching children some valuable skills and much more.

Sam from MUD, said: “Because it is a small car park space, you are limited to what you can do but we can make it really nice.”

With a background in horticulture, environmentalism, physics and system designs, Sam is just one of the trio that makes up MUD.

He continued: “We’ve got a lot of support from a lot of different people and organisations who are all interested in getting it going.”

MUD always uses organic growing methods to improve local biodiversity and soil health wherever they grow.

Sam said: “The aim is to have workshops for the local community to come and join.

“And For The Love Of Food are creating a new kitchen in the building opposite so it’s perfect.

“People can come out here, harvest some food or see how it’s grown, take it inside, clean it up and prepare it.

“A lot of people might not have had that experience or skill set. It’s nice to teach people about that life cycle.”

Bringing a local community together is what MUD aims for, whilst also improving people’s mental health.

Sam commented: “Being outside, exercise and socialising is really good for people.

“There are loads of different groups of people who come down, who wouldn’t have necessarily ever socialised with each other in different situations, so it brings people together a lot.”

Mona Street Garden is open to the public every Tuesday from 1-3pm, if you would like to volunteer, they are always looking for a helping hand and encourage people to come down if they have a free afternoon. Or just pop round to see the project and socialise.