The Conservation Volunteers have a new community allotment project in Fir Vale in North-East Sheffield which aims to encourage local people to get involved and improve their mental and physical health. The Health Lottery have funded the project and a new Health and Communities Project Officer was appointed in April of this year. TCV have formed a partnership with HOPE Community Allotment Project who are well established in the area, and have taken on one of their allotments with the aim of forming a volunteer group who will continue to maintain and improve the plot.
TCV have started working in partnership with Halfway to form the Grow Your Mind Allotment Group, where regular wellbeing sessions will be combined with gardening to cover mental health awareness, mindfulness, creative writing and more.
Since May TCV have delivered 18 volunteer sessions at the allotment and carried out work including creating a new shed base, planting up 11 raised beds, clearing rubbish from the plot to fill a skip, building compost bays and now harvesting food. TCV have also run 5 events in the local community in partnership with other local organisations including Pakistan Advice and Community Association (PACA), Heeley City Farm and HOPE to promote food growing, healthy living and the volunteer opportunities on the allotment.