Riverside - Finding the plot

The Riverside Group is backing a bid to encourage people to get involved in the growth industry of community gardening, at allotments in the Tranmere and Rock Ferry areas of Wirral.

Children from Mersey Park Primary School took the lead, planting vegetables and seeds at the Church Road allotment in Tranmere, when gardening experts from Green Apprentices helped kids as young as eight years old develop their green fingers.

Sprucing up unused allotments forms part of a wider scheme, by a consortium of housing associations including The Riverside Group, to green up neighbourhoods across the country. The scheme is using cash from a Big Lottery Fund Changing Spaces award – with £450,000 earmarked for the Tranmere and Rock Ferry areas.

Sian Martin-Baez is regeneration officer at The Riverside Group. She said: “The popularity of community allotments is steadily growing. People are beginning to appreciate the benefits of growing their own food and the associated improvements to health and quality of life.”

Nationally, the total number of allotments has decreased steadily since the end of the second world war, as they fell out of favour. By the late 1970s there were around 500,000. Today about 300,000 allotment plots remain.

Ian Jones of Green Apprentices is keen to encourage community use of allotments in Church Road and Bedford Road. Ian added: “We are offering training and support with basic gardening skills to help people get started in growing their own organic vegetables. As the milder weather and lighter nights set in, it’s a great way to get regular exercise and it’s really satisfying to see your food grow and to harvest the fruits of your labour.”

Community plots are available to local people, free of charge with flexibility time schedules to suit people who want to join in. Contact Ian Jones or Keith Farroll on 644 4830 if you are interested in getting involved with community allotments.