Members of the Greendykes community were keen to do some allotment clean-up days this year, and come rain or shine, worked hard over several weeks to make several spaces look so much tidier with support from Community Grower Jen.
The time spent working together to do something positive in the community sparked interesting conversations about the challenges they face in communicating as a group and accessing funding. They now have plans to elect a new committee with the aim of addressing these issues – proactive and hopeful stuff showing a real enthusiasm for what they’re doing!
Here’s a rundown of what they got up to:
Week 1: They braved heavy rain to clear wood and junk from the shared seating space, dead end paths, and unkempt plots.
Week 2: Focus turned to clearing weed seed beside the polytunnel to stop it getting inside when it’s opened. They also moved the bulk of some huge, out of control willows from one plot, which the group really enjoyed.
Weeks 3 & 4: A very busy couple of weeks with some sunshine! The group cleared large tree sections from outside the fence, tidied the entrance paths, and dealt with junk in a few more dead ends. Following that, they moved the location of some fencing and gates to prevent this happening in the future and increase allotment space – more room for fruit, veggies, and flowers! One member also repainted many of the fences to get them looking tip top, while others worked to identify what wood could be stored for future use.
All in all, an extremely productive few weeks, with the group completely clearing the previously abandoned allotments.
Fantastic to see such a lovely group of folk coming together and dedicating their time to maintain the area’s growing spaces. Looking to the future, they have plans to install additional compost bins plus rebuild their existing ones, and are looking forward to having a shelter and improved polytunnel courtesy of the Growing Youth team.
If you live in the area and would like to get involved contact: pippa@edibleestates.scot / 07549431528