
Story by Adrian Lake | Photo by Graham Jones
On 2nd June I visited the allotments and was introduced to Michael Cammack, who told me, “The garden has been here about ten years. It was funded by Tesco of Herries Road and by Greggs. We have managed to use money donated by them to buy garden furniture and a shed.”
They only use natural fertilisers on what they grow. Inside the shed it was busy with organisers and volunteers selling jars of organic chutney, organic fruit and organic vegetables. There is also a wormery from which they extract liquid, which is poured on their vegetables to promote growth.
The garden was dedicated to the memory of Andrea Hardy, Hope’s founder and inspiration. Working on the allotment promotes people’s mental health. Plot 83 was a dumping site but it’s been transformed.
Guest of honour was deputy mayor Tony Downing, who toured three of the allotments.
Sessions run on Monday and Thursday from 9:30am – 1pm. A Saturday session runs 10am until perhaps 3pm during the warmer months.