Aviva Community Fund provided £778 of match funding
Plant Pots and Wellies
Harlow, England, United Kingdom
Aim
To increase our services & reach more people, we are in desperate need of a toilet on site. It will be eco-friendly & fully compostable
'To Plant a Garden, is to Believe in Tomorrow'
Audrey Hepburn
Plant Pots and Wellies began just over two years ago. We wanted to form a safe place for both children and adults with additional needs to go, to learn about horticulture whilst being part of a community.
We wanted to make sure that diagnosis or age wouldn't be a factor as to whether you fit the criteria to attend. We wanted this to be inclusive for everyone.
We took over a large allotment site, that had been derelict for over 10 years. You can imagine what it looked like! 10ft brambles had to be cleared, along with tonnes of rubbish. From car parts to carpets, broken glass to artificial Christmas trees, you name it, we found it!
We rotovated the site, covered it in membrane and put in a wheel chair friendly path. All of this was achieved through fundraising/grants and carried out by volunteers.
From there, we have built a fully inclusive project, welcoming both children and adults with additional needs and volunteers from the local community and further afield.
'From Little Seeds Great Things Grow'
Together we have built up a thriving community, on a working allotment.
We provide
- a valuable service for people with additional needs
- safe opportunities for people of all abilities to be able to grow vegetables from seed for the plate
- opportunities to learn new skills whilst socialising and meeting people
We now have a tool shed, tea shed, greenhouse, wheel chair/limited mobility raised planting beds, a sensory garden and other planting areas.
Activities on site range from all aspects of gardening to wood work, to making craft items.
'Never Underestimate the Healing Power
of a Quiet Moment in the Garden'
Providing opportunities to connect with others can help to reduce feelings of isolation or exclusion and enhance well being, whilst general mental health can be improved through a sense of purpose and achievement.
In addition, better physical health can be achieved through exercise and learning how to use or strengthen muscles to improve mobility can also be a benefit.
We have gardeners of all ages (currently from 7yrs to 89yrs), carers and families, and all abilities, including those who have physical, learning, developmental and mental health challenges.
We also have students from Harlow College Supported Studies and home schooled children with additional needs.
Plant dreams, Pull Weeds and Grow a Happy Life!
Our gardeners can earn time credits whilst volunteering with us and we also arrange social outings, such as a visit to Kew Gardens and a canal boat trip.
The one thing holding us back is a toilet on site. Without this, we are limited as to how long people can stay and some people are unable to attend as they need to be near facilities. It also limits us with having children in groups from schools.
The toilet we need, is fully wheelchair accessible, Eco-friendly and completely compostable. If we can raise enough money to have this facility installed, the sky is literally our limit!
Thank you for your support
From Everyone at Plant Pots and Wellies
This project successfully funded on 16th December 2020