People of all ages invited to get stuck in at Dukinfield allotment

Tuesday, 23 April 2024 12:25

A local charity who aspire to build happy and positive futures for families have created a dedicated community allotment in Dukinfield.

The Leap Children & Families Centre began the Community Green project when the Meadow Lane site was just a "virgin plot", meaning it was empty and overgrown.

The project aims to provide opportunities for local people of all ages to connect with nature and develop inspiring community-led green spaces, which support individual and community wellbeing.

Kerry Kaill, project lead, said: "The adverse impact of COVID-19 has resulted in a sharp increase in ill mental health through rising levels of isolation, poverty, family breakdown, loss and domestic abuse.

"It has been the catalyst for investment in projects like this - creating a green haven where people can come and improve their wellbeing through nature.

"Belonging to a community is knowing to have long-lasting benefits on mental health as it lowers stress levels and induces a sense of togetherness and support. This is what our Community Green project is all about, the sessions are free and we just ask for a small contribution towards refreshments and resources to help with sustainability."

Kerry took up her position in October last year and has been focusing on developing additional groups and getting the allotments used by a wider audience.

"We're looking for people who don't have an allotment or garden and want to be sociable," she added.

"I love being outside, even in the rain, I think if you've got the right clothes on, there's no such thing as bad weather. My parents were market gardeners, however that doesn't appear to have given me all of the gardening skills I need. We tend to learn together here, people come along with a varying range of skills and are able to try out lots of different things - learning together and sharing skills."

She continued: "We really want people to be involved in the development of the site and to take ownership of it. There will always be someone here to support them but we want the community to be can make decisions for themselves in terms of the allotment, feeling empowered and confident in the choices made."

Volunteers deliver regular sessions for both children and adults. "Allotments for All" is a group held between 10am and 1pm each Tuesday. Anybody can go along and people are encouraged to develop their own projects on the site, soup is also made from what has been grown in Summer.

A cancer support group takes place on Tuesday afternoons from 1:30pm until 3:30pm. The Leap Centre are working in partnership with the Macmillan Hub at Tameside Hospital, who will be putting referrals through.

On Fridays, a ladies-only session is held at the centre's sister shed in Ashton and is a "safe space" for women to develop skills of gardening, DIY and to meet like-minded people.

"Allotment Tots" for toddlers ages 12 to 24 months and "Nature Babies" for immobile babies are also held during the week and a session will soon be starting on Wednesdays from 12:30 until 1:30 for two to four year olds.

Kerry said: "This group will be all about engaging children in nature and enhancing their wellbeing, particularly as a result of the pandemic, as well as getting them back to nature and understanding what plants are."