FREE seed giveaways, recipes, food-growing activities and a visit from the Bookbus will mark the launch of a new community growing strategy for Leicester.
The Growing Spaces strategy has been developed to reinforce the city’s commitment to locally-produced food, grown at community venues where people can meet to share knowledge, socialise and keep fit as well as grow their own grub.
It’s being launched during National Allotments Week (11-17 Aug), which this year is focusing on the wellbeing benefits of growing your own produce.
And anyone visiting Abbey Park next Tuesday (12 Aug) can find out more about community growing spaces at a family-friendly launch event, where there’s a chance to learn about the work of the some of the city’s amazing community growers.
The event takes place at the education centre in the park from 10am to 2.30pm.
As well as a presentation about the strategy and information on growing and gardening, there will be quizzes, seed giveaways, recipes and plenty of food-growing activities to get involved with. Children can climb aboard Leicester Libraries’ Bookbus for storytelling and reading activities.
The event will bring together groups and individuals who play an important part in supporting and promoting growing spaces in Leicester, including allotment societies, community growers, the city council’s public health team and parks staff. Members of the Leicester Tree Wardens will be on hand to talk about their community orchards project - which forms part of the new strategy - and to chat about what it is like to be a tree warden; and hopefully recruit some new members.
Assistant city mayor Cllr Vi Dempster, who is responsible for public health, allotments and community growing, said: “We all know that food growing is good for our physical fitness, as well as our mental wellbeing, and this is a great opportunity to highlight the importance of community growing spaces in Leicester.
“This new strategy will complement our Food Plan and recent work we have done to open a new community garden on the Saffron Lane estate.
“The strategy underlines our commitment to communities who want to grow their own food, and sets out our intention to support them so that more people can enjoy the benefits of food they have grown themselves.”
Read more about Leicester’s Food Plan at www.leicester.gov.uk/foodplan
The new Growing Spaces strategy can be found at www.leicester.gov.uk/allotments/
To find out more about local open allotment events coming up, keep an eye on the Parks Facebook page.
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