Page 46 - ALG 1.21

Yorkshire
Yorkshire and parts of Humberside
Open Day and Pop-up
The Woodseats Allotment Society has always held Open Days. For the last few years, the Open Days have centred around ‘the Hub’ – two plots within the allotments where we have acquired additional facilities to raise produce collectively to showcase at Open Days, host educational events, and a small kitchen/meeting room. We also offer three starter plots on the Hub so that each year aspiring gardeners who are awaiting an allotment or want to try out their skills, can get started on growing. Initially we struggled to acquire compost for growing seedlings during lockdown and became aware that fellow allotmenteers were also short on seeds and seedlings. We set up a seed and seedling swap which broadened out to various neighbours keen to carry on growing.
Now that Open Days were off the grid, we decided to develop a Plant Swap
or Donate project on the Hub. Many allotment folks were key workers or front-line workers or were shielding,
so were unable to raise their crops for their plots, so the Hub grew more and offered a swap or donate system. If a person had too many plants of one kind, they could swap for something grown on the Hub or take the plants and leave a donation towards Grace Foodbank. This raised £100. We decided to give surplus plants, flowers and produce to charity and/or use it at street stalls to benefit community projects. Woodseats plotholders donated to both Mitchell
Rd Socially Distanced Street Event and Friends of Graves Park Snail Trail; we raised significant funds for Sheffield Women's Aid, P.A.C.T. Grace Foodbank, FOGP and something for Society funds too.
Grace Foodbank could not easily process small and irregular supplies,
so one of our members contacted Foodworks, who agreed to collect fresh produce left over from a series of pop-up sales. Foodworks collects and turns surplus food and supermarket donations into meals to feed people
in need and avoid waste. Half of funds raised from the pop-up sales went to Foodworks, half to maintain the Hub and our activities. Amazingly, it has been successful and despite Covid/ government restrictions, teething problems and rain and cold, we will have fulfilled our short-term aims
and raised just over a staggering £1000. We could not have done this without our allotmenteers who donated an awesome amount and an array
of fruit, vegetables and plants. A big thank you and a wonderful well done to everyone involved for their efforts and donations.
We feel that the biggest impact of our activities has been contact with people who have been socially isolated or
who were beginning to appreciate the value of growing your own food and charitable activity. The reception from locals has been wholly positive with folks of all ages enchanted by our range of vegetables, preserves plants and bunches of flowers, most asking when we will be doing this again and donating more than the price of the produce. Thus we now have to decide what to do in future and we aim to do the following:
1. We will continue to collect fresh produce at the Hub—meet Foodworks every Sunday and handover a box of fresh donated produce.
2. Build awareness amongst all our allotment holders of this way of dealing with gluts and plan to do it every year - same plan—similar
A big thank you and a wonderful well done to everyone involved for their efforts and donations
growing schemes—and make our society more focused on working with a charity that fights food waste.
3. Hold a further pop-up stall— WOODSEATS ALLOTMENTS AUTUMN HARVEST SALE
UPDATE: Our event was a stunning success, raising £500 in three hours. Flower bouquets were glorious and sold immediately, with all produce, cakes and preserves sold out well before the end. Foodworks had to settle for their share of the proceeds as promised! The weather forecast all week was daunting, but in the event, we had a dry day with a glimmer of sunshine. Our saved seeds were a popular buy with folk asking
for tips on when and how to plant. We have had requests for a similar pop-up day nearer Christmas with a theme of more seasonal preserves and products. A local told us we had good hearts for doing what we have done over the last few weeks and it has been a real effort shared willingly by many generous allotmenteers. Surely in these times, we all have a duty to come together and help protect the needy and nourish and promote our potential natural resources.
Inge Hunt, Woodseats Allotments, Sheffield
46 Allotment and Leisure Gardener