PRESS RELEASE
NEW BEGINNINGS, NEW GROWTH FOR DIGGING DEESIDES RETURN
On Friday 30th January 2026, Digging Deeside, a social gardening community project, was relaunched by RainbowBiz CIC at a new site in Queensferry.
Pic left: The Finishing Touches – Volunteer Sion Forrester Adding the Soil for the No-Dig Beds Monday 26th January
Pic Right: Raised beds, Polytunnels and No-dig beds all ready for the launch of the site.
Storm Babet played havoc across the UK. In 2023. Sadly, the wind and huge amount of torrential rain that came down in Deeside badly affected Mill Lane Allotments. The brook overflowed and caused terrible damage to the entrance and the first raised bed and shed where the RainbowBiz CIC’s Digging Deeside group run one of its projects each week.
Digging Deeside is a social gardening project which ran weekly at Mill Lane Allotments in Connah’s Quay, providing environmental activities in a safe outdoor space for around 30 individuals who access the group to make friends and learn new skills. The project was set up 10 years ago by RainbowBiz CIC. Since then, the group has evolved and many individuals have benefited.
Storm Babet and the resulting carnage put an instant end to the gardening project as the raised bed with all the growing vegetables was covered in flood water and sulphurous silt from the overflowed brook, a hazardous situation. Digging Deeside’s new brightly coloured shed was left standing in around 3 and a half foot of water at the flood’s highest peak, damaging everything in the shed and the shed itself.
RainbowBiz CIC, where not to give up on their project, however, seeking out new premises and working on a new strategy to keep the group together. Connah’s Quay Labour Community Club was the first to step up and offer a space for the group to continue meeting, replacing their trowels for crafting, karaoke, pool and darts. This has been their home for almost two years.
Pic: Connah’s Quay Labour Community Club kept the Digging Deeside Group together in 2023.
RainbowBiz CIC Directors Ian Forrester, David Williams, Sue Oliver and Sarah Way negotiated a new site for the project.
In July 2024, RainbowBiz CIC announced that they would be commencing a new Digging Deeside site build at Queensferry War Memorial Institute, Queensferry, Deeside. With support from funders Parc Adfer, Keep Wales Tidy, Police and Community Trust, Asda and other local donors.
RainbowBiz Director Ian Forrester said “The new Queensferry War Memorial Institute site sees a large expansion in space compared to the previous site. We now manage 5 raised beds, 4 no-dig beds, two polytunnels and a large greenhouse. We now have access to the facilities we so desperately needed.
Pic: Queensferry War Memorial Institute Garden before work commenced on the new allotment in July 2024.
The social gardening project is aimed at improving well-being and relieving stress. The weekly community project offers basic gardening skills, life skills and the chance to make new friends. Most importantly, the project offers a safe place to meet like-minded people.
Now at our new home, we are delighted to expand the reach of our project further into the community, working with local organisations and businesses to distribute the organic vegetables we will be producing to where they are needed most in the local community. “
RainbowBiz CIC have also recently been accepted for support from Travis Perkins to establish a new project ‘Woodwork for Wellbeing’, using reclaimed wood to create garden furnishings. They will look to start delivering this project within the next few months as work commences on the development of this new community activity.
At this new site RainbowBiz CIC are also delighted to work alongside friends and colleagues from Veterans and Community Hub CIC to make the Queensferry War Memorial Institute a wellbeing-centred space for the region.
RainbowBiz CIC has been supported by its Patron, Lord Barry Jones, since its inception in 2015. At the recent site launch on Friday 30th January RainbowBiz revealed that the new garden would be named after Lord Barry Jones and his wife Lady Janet Jones, as a lasting tribute to the community service of the former Labour MP. Lord Barry Jones served as a Labour MP for over 30 years, spanning eight general elections before retiring in 2001. Appointed as Baron Jones, of Deeside in the County of Clwyd in 2001.
Lord Barry Jones said:
“As Patron of RainbowBiz CIC it has been an honour for ten years to support the Social Enterprise in all of its community work.
Digging Deeside is the first project set up by RainbowBiz CIC founders Sue Oliver and Sarah Way. It started at the Community Gardens in Connah’s Quay, Later becoming more estsblished at Mill Lane allotments. Where it thrived for 8 long years.
Myself and Janet have visited many times to celebrate support from wonderful organisations such as The National Lottery and Police and Community Trust.
We have attended Plant and Share days and watched beneficiaries grow and thrive in an environment that supports the marginalised people of our community.
We were saddened by the closure due to flooding at the end of 2023. The team have done an amazing job to push through and establish a new, much larger site with the support of some amazing volunteers.
Today we are delighted to open a new chapter of Digging Deeside at Queensferry War Memorial Institute.
The expansion of Digging Deeside to this much larger site is a credit to the RainbowBiz CIC team, built by volunteers with the support of local community funds including Parc Adfer, Asda, Keep Wales Tidy and close to Janet’s heart Police and Community Trust.
Pic: Some of the volunteers from the community who gave their time to assist with the Digging Deeside build. From Left Lewis Evans, Martin bell, Jordan Thornelow, Isaac Van Heuwart, Harry Homer, James Smibert.
Janet and I are honoured that RainbowBiz CIC have chosen to name the new allotment
‘The Lord Barry Jones and Lady Jones Gardens’
We wish it every success in future and look forward to many visits supporting this excellent community-led project.”
Pic: The Rt Hon Lord Barry Jones addresses attendees to the RainbowBiz CIC Digging Deeside Site Launch on Friday 30th January 2026.
Founding RainbowBiz CIC Directors Sue Oliver and Sarah Way said:
“We are delighted to see the Lord Barry and Lady Janet Jones Community Gardens finally opened officially. We will look forward to seeing all the community enjoying this beautiful green space in the heart of Deeside.
We hope RainbowBiz will continue to lead on inclusivity and make this a safe space for everyone to enjoy.
You are all often in our thoughts since our own retirement and we do hope to pop in and see you from time to time. Have a fantastic 2026 everyone. Best wishes from Sarah and Sue”
If you wish to attend Rainbowbiz CIC’s Digging Deeside Project you can visit the RainbowBiz CIC Lord Barry Jones and Lady Janet Jones gardens on Wednesday and Friday afternoons 1pm – 3pm for the Digging Deeside sessions, or for more information visit rainbowbiz.org.uk, email info@rainbowbiz.org.uk or call Ian on 07809185121.
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