Inspired by guerilla gardening and Food Is Free movement, Ballarat citizen Lou Ridsdale created a dedicated platform in the Laneway beside her home in Oct 2014 sharing her homegrown veggies, fruit & herbs, seeds/seedlings, encouraging others to do so. Differing from other community gardens, it is un-gated & open 24/7 - the true essence of inclusiveness. Now 100% community led/community run, which actively fosters and promotes impactful practical food security solutions, it quickly gathered momentum now enjoys up to 100 visitors daily and involves 60 volunteers. Actively promoting community engagement, recycling, repurposing, growing produce in small spaces, beautifying an unused space, DIY education, eating seasonally, neighbourhood strengthening, sharing with others, and greater community cohesion. It encourages the community to contribute by dropping off food scraps, recycling old pots, sharing their produce & saved seeds, or simple gestures like turning the compost tumbler. Food Is Free Laneway is a shining example of how communities work together via gardening & food sharing, whilst fostering safer neighbourhoods, skills development leading to empowerment/confidence building, and a healthier population. Expansion to nearby Western Oval to grow food en masse and run self-sufficiency classes Food Is Free Laneway needs your support to feed more people.