SINGAPORE – Budding and veteran gardeners living in the South West district of Singapore will get more funding to encourage their passion, from a new initiative launched on Sunday (Dec 30).

Green Spaces @ South West, by the South West Community Development Council (CDC), will sow more seed funding and activity grants into new and existing community gardens and support new programmes.

The new initiative builds upon an earlier programme called 1,000,000 Native Plants @ South West, which had brought together more than 3,000 community gardeners who tended to some 150 community gardens in the South-West district.

The number of community gardens in the district has increased from 69 in 2006 to 152 today.

A farmers’ market was held on Sunday morning to celebrate the successful conclusion of the 1,000,000 Native Plants @ South West programme, where residents got the first taste of freshly harvested crops from the garden after live demonstrations of recipes.

Vegetables such as lettuce, cai xin and kang kong were also distributed to residents and vulnerable.

The South-West District comprises 17 divisions, spanning across the Chua Chu Kang GRC, Jurong GRC, West Coast GRC, Bukit Batok SMC and Pioneer SMC. The South West CDC was formed in 2001 to help the needy and build community ties.

Minister for Social and Family Development and Second Minister for National Development Desmond Lee said: “I hope that having more green spaces creates yet another opportunity for seniors to participate actively in the community, and keep fit and energetic, and stay connected to the community.”

Mr Lee, who is also adviser to Jurong Grassroots Organisations, added that green areas are “places where people of all walks of life come together” over a shared love of plants, and “this makes for a more congenial Singapore.”