Page 48 - ALG Issue 2 2022

East Midlands
Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Northamptonshire and Rutland
Once Upon a Time... oops, sorry!
A long time ago, back in March 2019, at a pre-lockdown AGM, volunteers were invited to host pupils from the Finedon Infant School on their allotment plot. Susan and I gave a raised hand signal immediately (noticing that our extended hand was the only one in the room) and subsequently received brief details.
In the following weeks of March, the Nation went in to its first lockdown. However, within the guidelines, allotment activity continued in preparation for welcoming the pupils on our established allotment plot. As the seasons progressed from spring
to summer, our thoughts developed
an idea to provide the school with their own plot on an adjacent (abandoned) allotment. This was approved by the Committee and clearance of the plot (Plot 20) began in May 2019. The before and after photographs show the history of developing the allotment as a blank canvas for the pupils.
Supported by a generous £500 budget from the Finedon Allotment and Gardening Association Limited, we sourced numerous items of equipment and materials from online sales sites, including fence panels, concrete slabs, reclaimed timber, and a gazebo. Many additional resources have been obtained since the onset of this project and the current situation means that, after a rebuild following the freak storm of 2021, we will be back on schedule for a ‘launch’ in early 2022.
Why this long since the project
began? We had to take the foot off
the accelerator, due to the associated restrictions related to Covid-19 affecting school attendances and the devastating damage to fencing and polytunnels as a result of the ‘15-minute mini tornado’
As the seasons progressed from spring to summer, our thoughts developed an idea to provide the school with their own plot on an adjacent allotment
in September 2021. Just prior to the aforementioned ‘storm of 21’, at a committee meeting held in the larger of two polytunnels, Peter Ayres (President) announced that a second allotment plot was to be gifted to the Finedon Junior School. In recognition of our combined work on Plot 20, Sue and I were asked to take this (second) allotment project on. Directly after a sharp intake of breath, we both provisionally accepted the ‘challenge’ prior to visiting the plot. Since then, as shown in the photographs provided, there has been considerable progress made in restoring the ‘Top Plot’ to its former glory, mainly in full credit of Sue’s efforts.
Initially, upon first contact with the school, the intended attendance was
infrequent, but this was mainly due to uncertainty related to Covid. However, since then, a teacher representative from the school has viewed the dedicated plots and has been jointly inspired to declare a more frequent schedule of pupil attendance. This
will provide the schools with a perfect opportunity to satisfy the National Curriculum by the inclusion of allotment science and all its associated learning activities.
We are proud to announce that there
is now a plan to hold an official grand opening on Friday 22nd April 2022, which will include the planting of commemorative trees for the Platinum Jubilee (could be known as a Plantinum Jubilee). Thereafter, we will enjoy the efforts of our labouring to restore and prepare these plots for guided use by the allotmenteers of the future. If there is such a time to be called ‘post-Covid’, may we all live happily ever-after.
Bud & Sue Abbott, Allotment Holders at Finedon Allotment and Gardening Association Limited
48 Allotment and Leisure Gardener