Thera East Anglia (TEA) has launched a community allotment project in Ely.
The project is based at the Bridge Fen Allotments site in the city and is growing a wide range of produce from carrots, potatoes, onions and peppers to cucumbers, beetroot, pumpkins and butternut squash – to name just a few.
Terri Dumont, Employment Support Manager for TEA, said “The allotment is helping to teach the people we support how food is grown and how to eat healthily, as well as provide a safe space for them to socialise and make new friends.”
Volunteers on the project are able to take their freshly grown vegetables home with them to enjoy. Produce is also being donated to Larkfields Community Café in Ely, where it is being turned into tasty meals. The café employs people with a learning disability to help them develop new skills in a real life working environment.
TEA is also keen to donate some of the produce to local food banks and children’s centres’ in the future.
Thanks to Cambridgeshire Time Credits, the project has provided a great way for volunteers to be rewarded for their efforts. Time Credits recognises the valuable contributions people make to their communities and offers access to new and interesting opportunities as a thank you for their hard work.
Terri explained, “Using Time Credits is a great way for us to be able to pay and reward our volunteers for the time they put in. Volunteers earn Time Credits by working on the allotment and can then spend them on a wide range of fun activities, such as going to the theatre, enjoying a day out, taking part in outdoor pursuits or attending a yoga class.
“This is especially important at the moment, given people have limited available income which can be an obstacle in being able to access these types of activities and facilities.”
If you want to find out more about the My Way Allotment Project, email terri.dumont@thera.co.uk