Listen to the Lavender

Listen to the Lavender...

to co-create a creative growing space for the LGBTQIA+ community of Dundee that celebrates diversity, promotes environmental awareness, inspires creativity and supports wellbeing through nature, horticulture, art, connection and social and cultural opportunities across the city.

Listening in...

A community garden project for members of the LGBTQIA+ community who have green fingers or a love of nature and want to create something beautiful in Dundee.

We operate nomadically across trusted community gardens and hubs to provide safe get-togethers that foster a sense of belonging and create opportunities to grow.

Are you a keen gardener? Or would you like to learn horticultural skills?

Do you want to reconnect with nature or discover more about the environment?

Are you someone who takes positive action towards environmental issues and making change happen?

Are you aware of the positive impacts gardening has on mental health and wellbeing and want to explore this further?

Would you enjoy being outside with a friendly community of people?

If you are interested in becoming a part of our green team, get in touch! We meet once a week. Fun, informal, friendly, kind.

Listening out...

Creativity is a key component of the project and takes many forms, from designated creative sessions, to visiting art exhibitions, to creating new garden designs, to imaginative and visionary discussions.

You may not see yourself as a 'creative' person, but in simply being curious you have the spark.

Would you like to be more artistic but don't know where to start?

Are you an artist, writer or creative keen to get involved?

Are you a workshop facilitator looking to reach out to the LGBTQIA+ community?

Our creative team plan a seasonal arts programme that follows the Celtic year. This is where we come together for creativity and food to share as the seasons turn.

We also meet once a month for our Chill/Create session, where members can bring along a creative project or join in with whatever activity has been planned.

A Social Space

We are a community that understands first-hand the need for welcoming and inclusive social spaces that actively celebrates diversity and the spectrum of identities that exist.

We are very considered about where we meet for this reason; and even more considered about where and how we promote our meet-ups. Safety or rather what makes us feel safe is unique to every individual, which is why we ask our members to guide us on this subject.

In our endeavour to create safer spaces we are actively involved in trusted community networks and form partnerships and collaboration projects to help strengthen allyship.

We are not on social media. New members join us through word of mouth, through visiting our website or through seeing our posters in trusted venues.

Our Manifesto

To work towards the establishment of a garden and community hub for the LGBTQIA+ community of Dundee and to strengthen allyship through partnership and collaboration.

Room to Be is a not for profit community grassroots project that:

promotes wellbeing through nature, horticulture and creativity.
aims to provide opportunity for personal growth, creativity and social connection.
is climate aware and environmentally minded, offering workshops and informal training sessions to our members on gardening, biodiversity, climate change and sustainability.
recognises the diversity and complexity of intersectionality within the LGBTQIA+ community and is active in addressing barriers to participation.
is inclusive and celebrates the beauty of gender diversity and identity. We see trans men and women as expanding the human understanding of what it means to be male or female. We see non binary people further enriching our sense of gender as fluid and a spectrum. Trans men are men, trans women are women and non binary and intersex people exist.
we will endeavour to find ways for further outreach that helps support the LGBTQIA+ community and stand in solidarity with their right to live free from discrimination.
we are active members of the wider community and seek collaborative projects and partnerships. We value our allies and find ways in which to strengthen these bonds and connections.

Meet-ups will always be friendly, accepting and kind.

Please contact us if you have any accessibility requirements or concerns. If you struggle with social anxiety you can let us know; we will work with you to find ways to help alleviate attendance anxiety as best we can. We are happy to give more detailed forenotice of what to expect at any meet-up if that information is helpful.