HARVEST will be coming to Leicester’s Abbey Pumping Station Museum next week with a fun-packed day of activities for all ages focusing on the joys of growing your own food.
The Harvest Get Together takes place on Tuesday, October 19, from 11am to 3pm, and includes hands-on sessions around cultivating crops at home or in the garden, healthy eating, wellbeing and conservation, as well as a range of stalls, demonstrations and practical activities.
Throughout the day there will be roving performances by The Strolling Gardeners – twins Bob and Tom – bringing a light-hearted look at cultivating fresh fruit and veg and sharing their secret compost formula. Performances take place at 11am, 12.30pm and 2pm.
There will also be a chance to find out about community events such as allotments and gardening groups.
It is being run by Leicester Museums and Galleries alongside The Conservation Volunteers, within a marquee and the grounds of the pumping station. The event is part of the health and wellbeing programme of work carried out by Leicester Museums and Galleries, as part of its role as an Arts Council England-funded National Portfolio Organisation.
The museum’s narrow gauge steam railway will also be operating throughout the day from 12noon to 4pm, taking visitors on circuit within the museum’s grounds.
Leicester deputy city mayor for leisure, culture and sport, Cllr Piara Singh Clair, said: "With the half-term school holidays upon us, this free event is a perfect way to explore Abbey Pumping Station Museum’s grounds and take part in this fun event.
“Growing your own produce is a very satisfying way of learning valuable new hands-on skills, with the benefit of creating homegrown delicious produce as a result.
“There is so much about healthy eating and the importance of locally-grown fruit and veg that are relevant to all our lives, and this event is a fun way to get involved. For those who want to get more involved, it’s also a way to find out about local like-minded gardening and allotment groups.
“The narrow-gauge railway is one of the most popular attractions at Abbey Pumping Station, so it will be a welcome addition to the event.”
Details of the Harvest Get Together 2021 are available here: https://bit.ly/3aCnW7h
Abbey Pumping Station’s Garden Get Together Group meets weekly on a Monday from 10.30am to 12.30pm. More details of the group, and how to get involved, are here: https://bit.ly/3p1C6Hq
Samantha Woods from The Conservation Volunteers added: "We have really enjoyed working with Leicester Museums and Galleries, leading the Abbey Pumping Station Garden Get Together Group weekly sessions.
"This event is a great opportunity to showcase examples of community food growing and how it can bring us all together".
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