Transition Town Letchworth have received support from Letchworth Heritage Foundation and North Herts District Council to set up an educational allotment on the Woolgrove Allotment Site. NHDC are providing the allotment and the Heritage Foundation have provided a grant which will fund a small shed, tools and raised beds for the allotment. The project team are also monitoring Freecycle, looking for items like unwanted garden tools and paving slabs so the project can be delivered with as lower carbon footprint as possible.
Diane Ketcher and Hilary Howell from Letchworth Organic Gardening group will be leading the project. Diane explained that “our aim is to take this currently vacant allotment and turn it into productive growing space by passing on skills and knowledge to local families living on the Jackmans Estate, helping them to eat well for less. The allotment has been vacant for some time, and as the site will be looked after using organic methods, avoiding any pesticides, it has been covered over for the winter to suppress the weeds so it will be ready for planting in the spring. Some of the organic methods families will learn about will include creating compost and feeds using natural techniques which are wildlife friendly. The project is aimed at families, rather than children or adults separately, in order to give families valuable time together undertaking a healthy, low cost, shared activity which we hope will be very productive. We are hoping that some of the families who get involved will have children with special needs as we are aware that outside activities like growing are beneficial to health and wellbeing.”
The intention is to work with up to four families for the first year to set-up and maintain the allotment and start to grow food for the participating families to eat. Once a week the project team will be on hand to teach, guide and help with planting and maintenance There will be no costs for families to participate, they just need to be able to give sufficient time to maintain their share of the allotment. Families who are interested in getting involved and want to find out more can email Transition Town Letchworth at ttletchworth@gmail.com.