The Allotment Project
One of the projects, which has been developed in Ipswich is the allotment project. This allows young people on an ISSP Order to take part ownership within the project. The purpose of this is to help young people develop practical skills in gardening. This also gives them the chance to see their hard work flourish. Young people will learn multiple skills in horticulture, part of the learning process is to nurture and maintain plants and vegetation, which they planted from seeds. This allows them to be able to see their hard work grow and also to receive the benefit when the produce is ready.
The allotment project is also designed to have a restorative justice element to it, where young people grow flowers in order to redistribute them to residential homes. The young people will learn how to gift-wrap and present flowers in a professional manner.
Sharna who works in a local florists, generously gave up her time to teach staff as well as young people how to gift wrap. She claimed “at first the young people wasn’t interested in flower arrangement, when they started to arrange the flowers they stated to enjoy themselves and worked really hard. The result of they hard work was astonishing”.
Another aim of the allotment scheme is for young people to building confidence and self-esteem. The allotment project can also be seen as therapeutic to young people when they see what they can achieve by their hard work and by comparing it to their own development. The allotment is peaceful, calm and tranquil.
Kim Denny, a team leader from Lehman House quoted that “the resident really enjoyed it, it was a nice surprise to see young people putting something back in society. Some of the residents claimed it was a nice surprise, not only did the young people grow the flowers but presented them as well. I hope you continue to present flowers in the future at this home”.
The allotment project was entered into a competition and we won our category and received a yellow stick we are now entered into another competition.
Ivan Townes, a sessional worker, gives his views and comments below:
"It’s better to be born lucky than rich” was a phrase my father always used to drum into me. It may have been his way of explaining away my impoverished upbringing, but he could have had a point. For example, take my present position in life.
I had been employed as a Fire fighter for over 30 years, and because of my age it was the end of my career. I wanted a new direction and had already started working with children and young people, when almost out of the blue Paul Grant approached me. There was to be a new project in his department, an allotment. What a stroke of luck. I had always been interested in gardening, I have had my own allotment since 1976 and although no expert I am never happier than when pottering around in the garden or allotment. Dad had been right; I had managed to coincide a new career with a passionate hobby. Unfortunately, Paul had decided to start the project in February 2006, in what was to be one of the coldest wettest Springs ever recorded. Our first visit to the “plot” showed a roughly ploughed field covering up what was until recently a tangle of spear grass, nettles and bindweed. Dealing with that would have to wait; first of all we had to build ourselves a shed. In time this would house our new tools, but our first aim was to have somewhere to shelter from the snow, hail, rain and wind. The first two lads who were on the project were unbelievable. They hauled the wood for the shed to the far end of the allotment, across what was rapidly turning into a mud bath. In between showers we put down the base and erected the walls, sheer bliss we could get out of the wind. It wasn’t long before the roof was on and the windows glazed. That shed was indispensable over the next few months; the rain and cold were ever present as we tried to transform our ploughed field. The young people who have done work on the plot by and large come with a rather sceptical view of the project. But as the season has progressed and we are seeing the fruits of our labour, we are starting to see more enthusiastic interest. Our first season has seen quite a wide range of produce. We have already started to harvest potatoes, courgettes, broad beans, French beans, onions and garlic. Soon we will be having tomatoes, chillies, runner beans, sweet corn, butternut squash, and cauliflower. During the winter months we have cabbages, leeks, Brussels sprouts and parsnips. We have to thank our Field Secretary Dennis for all his help and support. Many of the other allotment holders have been very supportive as well, enabling us to qualify to the next stage of the “Best Kept Allotment” in the Novice Class.
Below are further links to some of the activities carried out with the young people as part of their ISSP’s: