A COMMUNITY kitchen garden is set to become a reality at an Alloa church in a project cooked up by a world-class chef.

A delivery of raised beds and planters was last week taken at St Mungo's Parish Church, where award-winning chef Billy Campbell has been driving forward a community café.

Chef Billy has had a vision for a community garden for the past year and the idea can now blossom thanks to the help of Forth Environment Link and Clackmannanshire Secondary Support Services (CSSS).

Delivering the planters was a real community effort with chef Billy contacting Diane Brown, project manager at Alloa First, with the idea.

Through Clackmannanshire Third Sector Interface (CTSI), the chef was introduced to Richard Chatfield, reuse project officer for Forth Environment Link based at the ACE building on Whins Road.

Richard said the timing "could not have been better" and added: "We were looking for a project to work on with pupils from Clackmannanshire Secondary Support Services and the raised beds and planters were perfect giving them skills in using reclaimed timber, project planning and joinery.

"They've done an amazing job and we are delighted with the results."

The community garden will allow chef Billy to work with the freshest of produce in the café, but it will do much more too.

Billy Campbell said: "The idea of using the space at St Mungo's Parish Church as a community garden has grown over the past year and for this to come to fruition with the help of Forth Environment Link and CSSS so quickly is unbelievable.

"I love creating dishes with fresh and local produce so to be able to have the raised beds here in the church garden, with the opportunity of our local congregation, Connect Alloa our local youth group and the wider community all able to get involved is what this project is all about."

Anthea Coulter – chief officer at CTSI, a director at Alloa First and a volunteer with Alloa In Bloom which recently won a gold award for its efforts this year – was delighted to see more green areas being created in town.

She added: "Creating more community gardens has been high on the agenda of Alloa In Bloom.

"Not only will it provide St Mungo's community café with fresh produce and herbs but there are so many other benefits the garden will bring.

"The Bloom group has recycled all the hanging baskets from the town to the garden already and they will be used to fill the bed sand.

"The café is not only beneficial to the environment by reducing food miles but more importantly is helping to strengthen community ties and improve mental health."

People interested in volunteering with Alloa In Bloom can email alloainbloom@alloafirst.co.uk.