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A project to create a community growing garden in Ferndown has been completed.
The scheme, run by Seed2Plate, has built the garden at The Centre Ferndown after two years of fundraising and hard work putting the space together. This week, Seed2Plate’s Green Care team braved the torrential rain to complete the build after securing funding through the Ferndown Family Hub, CLA Charitable Trust and Tesco Stronger Starts, previously named Bags for Help. Working with Ferndown Community Hub, volunteers and families will be trained to help maintain the space and connect young people with the adjoining Ferndown Common, a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The funding will be used to help young people get involved in outdoor horticulture activities, exploring different land-based themes, learning about plants and how to maintain them, the local biodiversity and connecting them to Ferndown Common through horticulture. It saw the previously-unused plot of land repurposed, with accessible raised beds that when planted, will produce fresh fruit and vegetables for the local low-income community, while offering skills and Level 1 horticulture qualifications through the National Open College Network. The project will work with the Ferndown community, families, elderly, and young people from Tricketts Cross estate, the second highest area of deprivation in Dorset, outside Weymouth and Portland. They thanked Eco Sustainable Solutions Ltd for donating and delivering the compost.
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Volunteers at a community garden project have produced a calendar to help fund their efforts – and two other town causes.
Wimborne Community Garden, in School Lane, has been running for 15 months growing fruit, vegetables and flowers through the efforts of residents. A share of produce grown at the site is handed to Wimborne Foodbank and Community Kitchen. Among them is Sarah Pizzey, who has put her photography skills to good use for the cause. Sarah has put together photographs taken at the garden over the last 15 months to form a 2024 calendar, which is now being sold to raise money for the initiative. People can buy the calendar, for £8, at the garden during opening hours – Wednesday 9am to noon, Friday 1pm to 4pm and Sunday 2.30pm to 4pm. For more information on the Wimborne Community Garden project, log on to www.beaucroft.dorset.sch.uk/community/wimborne-community-garden. Dorset Council and Help and Kindness jointly hosted Feeding Dorset 2, the second event of its kind celebrating the outstanding food projects that have made a significant impact on communities across Dorset. The event was held at The Old Power House in Blandford Forum and was attended by over 75 people from various organisations.
Feeding Dorset 2 brought together a wide range of initiatives, from community gardens and food banks to educational programmes and sustainable horticulture projects. The event showcased the tremendous efforts undertaken by individuals, groups, and organisations to support people in need to access affordable and emergency food, and to build Dorset’s local food resilience. Representatives from local councils, charitable organisations, community groups, and dedicated volunteers attended the event to share their experiences, exchange ideas, and highlight the innovative approaches adopted in addressing food-related challenges faced by residents of Dorset. The event featured informative presentations, interactive workshops, and networking sessions, allowing participants to gain knowledge and establish valuable connections. Attendees also had the chance to discover new resources, share success stories, and explore collaborative opportunities for future endeavours. Wimborne Community Garden Win Overall Winner in the Largest Horticultural Campaign in the Region16/10/2023 Wimborne Community Garden were awarded gold, overall winner and outstanding at the South and South East in Bloom Awards. The awards are the largest horticultural campaign in the region and involve hundreds of communities each year.
17 volunteers from Wimborne Community Garden went to RHS Garden Wisley on Friday 29th September. They enjoyed the impressive gardens in the morning and went on to receive awards in two categories: Our Community and It’s Your Neighbourhood. There was jubilation when the results were announced that Wimborne Community Garden not only won Gold but also Overall Winner in the Our Community Category and Outstanding in the It’s Your Neighbourhood. The Prizes were presented by Mark Porter, Chairman of the Britain in Bloom Federation and an RHS Vice-President. Supported by Faithworks, the garden was started in May 2022 in Wimborne town by a small band of enthusiastic volunteers. Gradually developed over the past 17 months it now boasts several productive vegetable beds and flower borders. Fresh produce is grown for Wimborne Food Bank+, Wimborne Community Kitchen as well as helping to source food for Beaucroft College’s 1HQ café, now open to the public in Wimborne. The Judge, John Lockwood, picked up on the partnership work as well as the numerous groups that use the garden from the local Scouts, Brownies and Cubs, the nursery school, Canford students and Year 9 Queen Elizabeth’s School students have also been involved. The fact that the community is so heavily involved with the garden was seen as extremely positive and especially because it is helping provide Beaucroft students valuable and enjoyable horticultural experiences. As the garden has grown physically so to has the band of volunteers. Ferndown Community Support CIC, founders of Ferndown Community Larder and Food Bank, are delighted with their new community allotment awarded by the town council.
The group’s Hannah Hobbs-Chell said: “What a brilliant asset to the group, and to the Food Bank+, enabling us to not only provide fresh fruit and veg, but also a teaching and learning space for growing your own. Thank you Ferndown Town Council for the opportunity to further benefit the community in so many ways”. The plot, intended for community use and benefit, will be a rich asset and volunteers are being sought to get the ground growing. Ferndown mayor Lawrence Wilson said: “Ferndown Town Council are delighted to have been able to provide this allotment. The group have done so much to help those in need in our community and it’s great to be able to offer them our support. “We look forward to seeing the fruits of their labour.” If you are interested in the work of FCS, volunteering, sponsoring, or needing support, visit ferndowncommunitysupport.org.uk, telephone 01202 936121 or email [email protected]. Despite a three-year break, the team from Christchurch Food Festival Education Trust are back running cookery days in Christchurch primary schools.
A total of 11 cookery days are being run throughout the district with children being taught a range of skills and given nutritional guidance in order to make healthy food choices. The sessions are aimed at children in Years Four and Five and are being organised by Mary Reader a trustee of the charity and the founder of the original Christchurch food festival. Mary is joined by nutritional specialist Diane Thomas and chefs Loic Gratadoux and Colin Nash. Also part of the team is Master’s Degree student Jess Harris from Bournemouth University. Following an introduction about the importance of eating breakfast children are split into groups. Some learn to chop vegetables safely and the value of including fish in the diet by making a steamed trout dish with vegetables while others are taught to recognise a wide range of vegetables and about how adding spices, juices and sauces to vegetables can improve the flavour. They are also shown how to become Food Detectives and learn about branded foods and the labelling on packaging. |
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