Nature, Nurture, Future - Gardening for Wellbeing.
04th February 2022
In: Features
Everyone has faced quite a number of challenges over the recent year, with COVID restricting activities and social interaction. The Wilderness Foundation is no different and has undergone some change during this period with reduced numbers, and a change of leadership. Despite this a huge amount of effort goes into the plots under their management, as Carolin Rogers, who now leads the activity explains in this update.....
Our friends at The Wilderness Foundation work across six plots and have a distinct variety of growing space for fruit and vegetables across traditional beds, raised beds and poly tunnels combined with areas left for wildlife. Over the years, we have stablished log & habitat piles, small areas of rubble, hedgerows, wildflower patches and a wetland area to benefit our local insects, invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals.
Our friends at The Wilderness Foundation work across six plots and have a distinct variety of growing space for fruit and vegetables across traditional beds, raised beds and poly tunnels combined with areas left for wildlife. Over the years, we have stablished log & habitat piles, small areas of rubble, hedgerows, wildflower patches and a wetland area to benefit our local insects, invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals.
Organic allotment gardening goes hand in hand with a healthy environment for wildlife as those little creatures benefit our crops in so many ways. And, of course, they benefit us too! Who hasn’t smiled at the little robin landing next to you on the spade handle to chirp hello and ‘thank you for digging up some worms’?!
The allotment year started well, but we still noticed the aftermath of Covid-19 with a considerable reduction in participants in our programmes. As such, we had to reduce our work to one day a week with only few volunteers attending. Unfortunately, our schools programme ceased to run due to the circumstances. We have been running the allotment on a Tuesday as normal but with much more attention on Covid 19 safety and social distancing as many volunteers are vulnerable.
We are excited to have been able to launch ‘Eco Defenders’, a creative horticultural-environmental youth programme for 10 & 11-year olds. Our new allotment-based outdoor club started with a one-week summer camp at the beginning of last year’s summer holidays. Albeit with only 4 participants attending, it was a huge success and a tremendous variety of outdoor activity fun was had by all. The programme now runs on Saturday mornings at the allotments. Once a month we successfully team up with Green Influencers at Chatham Green.
Despite the effect of Covid-19, our groups manged to keep on ‘growing’ and make a difference across our plots and to each other, collecting fresh produce, enjoy wildlife and be together in a positive environment.
We are motivated to make growing food more accessible to a wider audience, or for those with less time and financial resource to run their own allotments, or in fact, have limited access to a garden space. Our allotment programme boosts and helps to maintain a healthy and positive mental attitude and supports physical health as well. Connecting people with nature through growing healthy food, activity, socializing and awareness of our beautiful environment is one of the core benefits to mental and physical wellbeing.
The Down to Earth Allotment programme is open to a range of community groups, schools and individuals. Most of our young adult volunteers are living with mental or physical disability. We also use the allotment to engage clients from other social organizations such as Chelmsford Community College Initiative and local special needs schools catering for young people with complex and severe learning difficulties.
We are excited to have been able to launch ‘Eco Defenders’, a creative horticultural-environmental youth programme for 10 & 11-year olds. Our new allotment-based outdoor club started with a one-week summer camp at the beginning of last year’s summer holidays. Albeit with only 4 participants attending, it was a huge success and a tremendous variety of outdoor activity fun was had by all. The programme now runs on Saturday mornings at the allotments. Once a month we successfully team up with Green Influencers at Chatham Green.
Despite the effect of Covid-19, our groups manged to keep on ‘growing’ and make a difference across our plots and to each other, collecting fresh produce, enjoy wildlife and be together in a positive environment.
We are motivated to make growing food more accessible to a wider audience, or for those with less time and financial resource to run their own allotments, or in fact, have limited access to a garden space. Our allotment programme boosts and helps to maintain a healthy and positive mental attitude and supports physical health as well. Connecting people with nature through growing healthy food, activity, socializing and awareness of our beautiful environment is one of the core benefits to mental and physical wellbeing.
The Down to Earth Allotment programme is open to a range of community groups, schools and individuals. Most of our young adult volunteers are living with mental or physical disability. We also use the allotment to engage clients from other social organizations such as Chelmsford Community College Initiative and local special needs schools catering for young people with complex and severe learning difficulties.
We aim to revive our connections during the coming year and have already seen an increase in new participants and are also pleased to welcome a lovely new group of young secondary school age people from New Hall School! This wonderful bunch of young ladies and gentlemen enjoy coming during their lunchbreak on a weekly basis and have helped with a range of tasks including reweaving our willow fence.
After many years of running the allotments successfully, we said farewell to Jonathan Barker. We would like to thank him for his dedication, hard work and the valuable and friendly relationships he built over the years. Our new project leader, Carolin Rogers, took on the running of the site in November and has been welcomed, heartily accepted and supported by participants and volunteers alike. She, too, would like to thank everyone for the friendly inclusion into the team, encouragement and kind words.
The last 2-3 months have been challenging as the lack of helpers and maintenance time spent due the pandemic restrictions had left their mark, and a lot of overgrown areas, clearing and repair-needy structures had to be dealt with. A small team of regular volunteers has supported Carolin through the last 3 months with this for which she is extremely grateful.
After many years of running the allotments successfully, we said farewell to Jonathan Barker. We would like to thank him for his dedication, hard work and the valuable and friendly relationships he built over the years. Our new project leader, Carolin Rogers, took on the running of the site in November and has been welcomed, heartily accepted and supported by participants and volunteers alike. She, too, would like to thank everyone for the friendly inclusion into the team, encouragement and kind words.
The last 2-3 months have been challenging as the lack of helpers and maintenance time spent due the pandemic restrictions had left their mark, and a lot of overgrown areas, clearing and repair-needy structures had to be dealt with. A small team of regular volunteers has supported Carolin through the last 3 months with this for which she is extremely grateful.
On November 30th we were lucky to have an amazing workforce from Essex Suffolk & Water, who volunteered for the day to tackle much needed ‘heavy lifting’ jobs across our large site. Through their comprehensive skills and the tools they brought with them, new raised beds were built, structures repaired, paths re-mulched and clearance works carried out. The positive effect on garden and our group participants was immense and everyone is still talking about this brilliant day! We are hoping to be able to repeat this day of action during the coming year.
We are pleased to have received donations of timber sleepers and associated fixings, which were used during our volunteer day to build a brand-new raised bed. We also gratefully received a donation of a pallet of mushroom compost, which will be valuable for improving our soil and mulch around our fruit trees and bushes.
With new raised beds in place and more in the planning, we are very pleased have been able to team up with the NHS Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS Living Well Programme to set up a new allotment horticultural and green therapy scheme. This enables us to work with NHS patients on the long waiting list for hip and knee replacements as well as cancer survivors. We will be able to offer a safe, sociable, productive and encouraging community space those people with particular physical and mental needs.
A huge Thank you to our plot neighbours, allotment friends and the allotment chairs Karen & Ray Lawrence, who regularly pop by to say ‘Hello’ and enrich us with friendly words, helpful suggestions and a pat on the shoulder!
Currently the food grown at the allotment is shared amongst those growing it as the best way to learn where our food comes from and engage people with the subjects of nutrition and cooking. We also donate food to the homeless charity Sanctus in Broomfield to support others in the community in need. The allotments create a hub for people to feel safe, carry out constructive and tangible work, break cycles of loneliness or social isolation and are an important part of the local community.
As 2021 drew to a close, we concluded that much was achieved to make the allotment garden look great and ready ‘to grow’ for the coming year. We received truly encouraging feedback from children, parents, our adult participant as well as other plot holders, who all reflected on many enjoyable, inspirational and encouraging hours ‘down to earth’.
We are pleased to have received donations of timber sleepers and associated fixings, which were used during our volunteer day to build a brand-new raised bed. We also gratefully received a donation of a pallet of mushroom compost, which will be valuable for improving our soil and mulch around our fruit trees and bushes.
With new raised beds in place and more in the planning, we are very pleased have been able to team up with the NHS Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS Living Well Programme to set up a new allotment horticultural and green therapy scheme. This enables us to work with NHS patients on the long waiting list for hip and knee replacements as well as cancer survivors. We will be able to offer a safe, sociable, productive and encouraging community space those people with particular physical and mental needs.
A huge Thank you to our plot neighbours, allotment friends and the allotment chairs Karen & Ray Lawrence, who regularly pop by to say ‘Hello’ and enrich us with friendly words, helpful suggestions and a pat on the shoulder!
Currently the food grown at the allotment is shared amongst those growing it as the best way to learn where our food comes from and engage people with the subjects of nutrition and cooking. We also donate food to the homeless charity Sanctus in Broomfield to support others in the community in need. The allotments create a hub for people to feel safe, carry out constructive and tangible work, break cycles of loneliness or social isolation and are an important part of the local community.
As 2021 drew to a close, we concluded that much was achieved to make the allotment garden look great and ready ‘to grow’ for the coming year. We received truly encouraging feedback from children, parents, our adult participant as well as other plot holders, who all reflected on many enjoyable, inspirational and encouraging hours ‘down to earth’.
We continue to be grateful to our funders & donators and fantastic support given to the project by all involved. We constantly grow publicity through local and social media for the allotments and to encourage more people to grow food at home following 2 pandemic years of truly valuing our green spaces and experiencing gardening as a therapeutic tool to improve our health.
Article produced by Carolin Rogers, Wilderness Foundation.
If you have an interest in volunteering, or to find out more about the Wilderness Foundation and the Down to Earth activities, contact details are provided under.
All photographs - www.raylawphoto.co.uk
Keep up-to-date with what’s happening on our plots and elsewhere at the Wilderness Foundation by visiting our website: www.wildernessfoundation.org.uk. You can also speak to me ,Carolin Rogers, on 07757 536638 or contact me via email: carolin@wildernessfoundation.org.uk
Article produced by Carolin Rogers, Wilderness Foundation.
If you have an interest in volunteering, or to find out more about the Wilderness Foundation and the Down to Earth activities, contact details are provided under.
All photographs - www.raylawphoto.co.uk
Keep up-to-date with what’s happening on our plots and elsewhere at the Wilderness Foundation by visiting our website: www.wildernessfoundation.org.uk. You can also speak to me ,Carolin Rogers, on 07757 536638 or contact me via email: carolin@wildernessfoundation.org.uk