Allotments: lottery grant success!

Well we got it! £2,150 from the Lottery Fund to go towards setting up the allotments - see whole list of SW winners here - the 'Awards for All' money will go towards making the paths, putting up a gate and fencing - but the labour is all the allotment holders - already 7 working party sessions of a couple of hours or more have taken place with varying numbers of folk just to clear the site (see here some pics and debate whether to spray or not). Now we need to get to work laying the paths. All exciting stuff....of course those of us not spraying Roundup have lots of weeding to do - see photo!

Photos: above clearing site, left the site before it was cleared

The press and Stroud FM have been interested in this project which is great. I've directed them to Parish and Allotment chairs but here is some of what I said: "There is an unprecedented interest in the pleasures and financial savings that come from growing your own food. Allotments have never been so in demand yet in our area there is no public land available. We have therefore been delighted that we now have a lease between the Parish Council and a local farmer who have both been wonderfully supportive of the project. It took us more than two years to find and set up the allotments but now hope that this model of working with a local landowner might be possible to repeat across the District."

"We have already had many working parties of allotment holders to clear the site and this week have been delighted with news that we have got a Lottery Grant of £2,150 to go towards making paths, a gate and fence posts. We already have some more dates planned to start work on that and hopefully get growing something before the end of the season."

Photos of maps of allotments: 1883, 1902 and 1923

Meanwhile local artist Jackie Garner overlooks the allotments and has given them a mention on her blog - see here:
http://garnerwildlifeart.wordpress.com/2010/06/13/alotting-the-land/

Lastly here's an inspiring story from Kirklees Greens - a £1million allotments strategy featured on the RHS webpage here.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Gardening/Grow-Your-Own/News/Yorkshire-allotments-reviv