A local community allotment scheme has held a special event to celebrate being awarded £165,000 of National Lottery cash, securing its future for the next three years.
The project in West Bridgford is run by the homelessness charity the Friary to improve the mental health and wellbeing of vulnerable people. The Friary has been awarded the money by the National Lottery Community Fund.
With the help of volunteers, the Friary offers free weekly sessions for service users to meet new people, learn new skills and have fun in a friendly and welcoming space. The scheme is known as ‘Let’s Grow Together.’
The Chief Executive of the Friary, Ben Talbot, said: “This lottery grant is fantastic news for the future of our community allotments. We’d like to thank the National Lottery Community Fund and all those who play the lottery. This grant shows how it can make a real difference to local communities.”
The Allotment Project Manager, Jen Blake, added: “On behalf of all the staff, volunteers and service users, we can’t thank the National Lottery enough. These allotments provide the perfect place for our service users to learn new skills, while also helping their mental health and giving them a sense of purpose.”
A celebration event was held at the allotments on Friday 9th May, when service users joined volunteers, staff and invited guests including the MP for Rushcliffe, James Naish, and local county and borough councillor Hari Om.
The allotment sessions focus on gardening, crafts and cooking. Produce grown at the allotments is used to prepare meals or distributed to those in need at the charity’s drop-in centre for homeless and unemployed people on Musters Road.
The allotment scheme was kick-started in 2023 with a £10,000 donation from the award-winning PR and marketing agency Arch Communications, which is also based in Rushcliffe. As well as the financial contribution, the company is supporting the charity with PR on a pro-bono basis.
Rushcliffe Borough Council allocated grant funding from its Community Wellbeing Fund to support the project with purchasing essential toilet facilities, ensuring the site is more accessible and functional.