From Seedling to Garden: How Dundee Changemakers Helped ‘Room to Be’ Grow

When Room to Be received a Dundee Changemakers microgrant in January 2025, it was little more than an idea.

The vision was to create a welcoming space where LGBTQIA+ people in Dundee could connect through gardening, nature, creativity and community. With support from Changemakers, that vision quickly began to take shape.

The initial grant funded practical essentials including gardening tools, art materials, a website domain and a logo. Just a few weeks later, Room to Be launched its first creative drop-in session on 1 March with seven people attending.

Since then, the group has flourished.

Today, Room to Be has grown into a constituted community organisation with a committee and steering group of nine volunteers and a membership of 35 people. Regular activities include weekly Green Team sessions focused on gardening, nature and climate action, alongside monthly creative gatherings and a seasonal arts programme inspired by the Celtic year.

The group has also built strong connections across Dundee, collaborating with organisations including Cake or Dice, Boomerang Community Centre, The MAXwell Centre, RSPB, Ninewells Community Garden, Dundee Makerspace and the Art and Nature Collective. As active members of both Grow Dundee and Dundee Changemakers, they continue to contribute to a growing network of community-led action across the city.

More recently, Room to Be secured a second microgrant through a successful Dundee SOUP pitch. This funding will help create a new seating and planting area at Boomerang Community Centre, providing an inviting outdoor space for both members and the wider community.

For the Room to Be team, the impact of Changemakers goes beyond funding. The support provided the confidence, connections and opportunity needed to turn an idea into reality.

As they put it: "Without Changemakers, Room to Be would have remained only an idea."

Their story is a powerful example of what can happen when local people are given the resources and encouragement to take action. A small investment has helped create a thriving community space that supports belonging, creativity, environmental learning and social connection for LGBTQIA+ people in Dundee.

We're proud to have been part of Room to Be's journey so far and look forward to seeing what they grow next.