It’s been one of the most fascinating months so far on the Taff Community Allotment Project, with so many things going on. We look back on our first full year of cultivation at the Leckwith allotments and we can be proud of what we’ve achieved, against such a poor season of weather for growing.
As autumn shifts into the early part of winter, we have turned our attention again to training, with another successfully attended Workers Education Association accredited course getting under way. This time, we’re delighted to host it in our new training shed – a fine 12ft x 12ft structure, basically kitted out with chairs, tables and whiteboard and very cosy and full of laughter during the course. We even have a tenant in a wheelchair able to access the course, with a ramp into the shed.
The tutor, Aisling Judge, has everyone enjoying themselves as they learn – with the allotments outside the door acting as both inspiration and training ground.
Elsewhere, the fantastic support from our contractors and partners paid off in a different way at the Community Housing Cymru Public Relations Awards. The promotion of their input helped us secure the Successful Partnership category. Stories in the South Wales Echo, trade press, this blog and elsewhere impressed the judges. Just to mention them all again – thank you to GKR Maintenance, Leadbitters, mi-space, Cosgrove and the Probation Service for all their contributions.
The Probation Service were down at the allotments this week as part of a feature on their best work in Cardiff. They took photos of the footpaths, fencing and beds they have helped tenants with this year. We’d like to particularly thank Rob Robbins and Sam Holt for all their hard work coordinating the Probation sessions, which made such a massive difference to the project.
We’ve just had delivery of sample jars of courgette relish from Inner City Pickle, a local business that works on the food markets in Riverside and Roath. They look great, with specially printed labels for Ty Enfys, Riverside Play Centre and City Temple Homeless Project.
Next year, we hope to develop the relationship with Inner City Pickle to hopefully produce more jars of tasty treats, which they can either eat or possibly sell to make some money and raise awareness about their own projects. Check out Inner City Pickle at: http://www.innercitypickle.co.uk/index.html
On another positive note, our group chairman Fanwell Tandi has been short-listed for a Housing Hero category at the Chartered Insttute of Housing Cymru Awards. This is a black-tie event at the Vale Resort Hotel near Pontyclun. A world away from Fanwell’s days on the allotments, but great recognition for the journey he has made as an allotment gardener and ambassador for the project.
Looking back on this year, the tenants think that luck was on our side, with late planting and raised beds saving us from the worst of the wet weather. We produced some epic runner beans, great Charlotte potatoes (one of the few varieties to succeed) and succulent mange tout. But the late fruiting strawberries were probably our showpiece – the plants have produced abundant crops long after other plots have harvested theirs.
The beneficiary projects of the Community Growing Space area – Ty Enfys mother and baby hostel, City Temple Homeless project and Riverside Play Centre – have received good quantities of free veg and fruit from the site. That’s been a pleasurable outcome from the project.