Daventry Community Garden Project

This is the story of a pilot project initiated in 2002 that established the need for a community garden project within Daventry district. The project now promotes healthy eating, food safety, food hygiene, organic growing and exercise. Many families and youngsters are out of touch with where their food comes from. In addition the project promotes healthy eating and regular exercise, making it unique, relevant and an invaluable community resource.

Project background
Daventry District Council has a vision to ‘build a better district’. To meet this vision it set objectives to improve business economy, protect and enhance the environment and build healthy, safe, strong communities and individuals.

This project sought to increase the number of people in the District obtaining exercise through horticulture and to improve diet by increasing the consumption of fruit and vegetables by a programme of training and information. It also sought to widen access to the outdoors and to benefit conservation by cultivation of heritage crops.

Daventry District Council recognised that a community garden project could contribute to health and well-being, as well as offering a community resource and providing a haven for wildlife. The authority values allotments for their visual benefits as well as the added value and options they can provide when a local authority undertakes its planning work.

The project aimed to:

1. Promote healthy eating, including the importance of a balanced diet, food hygiene and safety
2. Promote exercise.
3. Create access for all with special regard to disabled groups
4. Provide educational resources.
5. Provide sensory gardening for special needs groups.
6. Support local biodiversity and contribute to the Northamptonshire Biodiversity Action Plan
7. Actively promote the scheme to encourage the formation of similar schemes in Daventry District.

Many organisations came together to deliver the programme:

1. Daventry District Council
2. Daventry DC Health Improvement Team (Environmental Health Officers)
3. Seven schools within walkable distance of the garden
4. National Allotment Association (& National Allotments Regeneration Initiative)
5. Daventry Allotment Society
6. HYDRA - Henry Doubleday Research Association (at Ryton Organic Gardens)
7. Primary Care Trust promotion officers
8. BTCV (‘Green Gym’ & “inspiring people, improving places")
9. New Deal Team: (work parties)
10. Punishment in the Community Team
11. Sure Start group (early education/health care for families

Methodology
The project main aims were to encourage communities and schools to work together on a community garden. Activities took place throughout the year to reflect the needs of the garden, from planting seeds to harvesting the produce, producing safe and hygienic foods, recognising the importance of a balanced diet and composting the garden waste. Community groups and teachers were able to meet the four key issues of sustainability, healthy living, environmental awareness and citizenship, by tackling topics such as waste and recycling, local foods, healthy eating, hygienic food preparation and cooking.

It is a community garden and activities were seasonally related to fit the gardening cycle. For the community, programmes were structured to meet the individual group leader's needs. Groups attending the guided healthy exercise gardening sessions were catered for based on their individual needs/abilities and the aims of their parent organisations.

Included in the project were national initiatives such as Food Safety Week, British Food Fortnight, HDRA School Organic Open Gardens. Schools were provided with National Curriculum Learning Outcome-based activities. The children started the seeds in classroom with help from the Rangers, and then brought their seedlings to the allotment to be planted. During the summer the children returned to harvest the crops and cooked them whilst at the allotment. Next year, year 6 pupils are growing tomatoes, peppers, basil, and chillies, which will be used as pizza toppings. The children will be able to harvest their own vegetables and create their own pizzas and then bake them in a wood–fired pizza oven which they are helping to build at the allotment, just 10 metres from their vegetable plot.

Outcomes
Overall benefits can be summarised as follows:

• Exercise from digging, planting, harvesting etc.
• Knowledge of the environment and food issues
• Cooking ‘home’ grown food safely and awareness of the importance of a balanced diet.
• Preparation and consumption of healthy lunchtime snacks
• Access to a "vegetable box" for home use
• Knowledge of food safety
• Access to the garden for all.

In addition, the community benefited from gaining confidence to establish similar projects in rural areas. Information on food safety and food hygiene was available and the inclusion of the local prison population helped to break down barriers. Finally, seeds of Heritage vegetables are produced. With regards to funding, the £1500 initial set up cost was funded mainly by Daventry District Council under the Ward Service Action Plans. To date, 7,776 participants have taken part.

The Countryside Ranger team have also extended their knowledge base during this pioneering community garden project. Whilst they were able to use their expertise and professional training to organise safe guided activities for participants, they also learnt how to harvest and prepare safe and hygienically prepared food. Further, that by collaborating with other professionals it was easier to deliver measurable outcomes for health promotion.

Future Developments
What plans are there for the future of the project? Dependent on funding it is hoped to:

1. Have a permanent project staff member to spend time encouraging wider community involvement and to provide an outreach service to other community groups in the district.
2. Actively promote the scheme to encourage the formation of similar schemes
3. Provide further resources to increase training in food safety and hygiene.
4. Improve access to groups that are under-represented as allotment holders
5. Use this scheme as a template for similar schemes in the district.
6. Improve access to the community garden – for wheelchair users and the visually impaired
7. Create raised beds and improved pathways for wheelchair access.
8. Purchase seeds - for vegetables, fruit, sensory plants, flowers, fruit bushes & trees
9. Provide seating for a quiet area.
10. Create, print and distribute a newsletter for publicity and promotion of the scheme
11. Extend the project to Onley Prison Market Garden.

Dewi G Morris; Senior Ranger
Daventry District Council
01327 877193

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