The Give to Grow Otepoti Trust hosted a "tool refurbishing" working bee on Saturday.
Trust members Kate Vercoe and Sue Graham said people dropped off their old gardening tools, which were "tarted up" so they could be reused again.
"There is quite a process to get the tools ready to be reused.
"There’s a nice circular feel to the exercise", Ms Vercoe said.
"It’s not a tool library. The people get to keep the tools once they’ve been polished up and ready to go.
"For many budding gardeners, tools are very expensive and the cost is a barrier to getting started."
Ms Graham said all of the refurbishing took time.
"You want the tools to be safe and functional, so there is sharpening, replacing screws, cleaning.
"It’s making sure they’re going to be fit for purpose."
People had dropped off everything from hoes and secateurs to sprinklers, she said.
"It’s especially rewarding working with migrants and refugees who have arrived here with nothing.
"They may have been gardeners from wherever they come from. It’s their delight being able to grow food for the family."
The cost-of-living crisis meant that growing your own food was more important than ever, Ms Graham said.
"I’ve worked in food security for years and to have the wherewithal to do this brings an enormous amount of satisfaction.
"In this day of built-in obsolescence, it’s so encouraging to see tools have another life.
"The tools are often very well made."
Ms Graham said the trust was working with the University to develop relationships with other community groups and businesses.
The trust was also considering setting up a system where people could give gardening seeds, she said.
"There’s a lot we can do in the food security sphere, so it’s all quite exciting."
Tools can be dropped off on Wednesdays between 3.30pm and 5pm at 14 Bridgman St, Kensington.
