Author Topic: Community allotment project (Read 5105 times)

knbsallotment · « **on:** March 24, 2007, 18:46:14 »

Hi all, I am about to start the lengthy process of applying for funding to get my community allotment project up and running. I am aiming it at children in the school my partner works in, which is a "deprived area," along with kids in care, and children and adults with special needs, and working with the Youth Offending Team. I am hoping to turn this into a self-sustaining not-for-profit charity/business, ie selling the plants and produce to plough back into the project to improve and expand. To increase my chances of funding approval, I have to try and get donations from various companies, for tools, seeds, fencing etc. Any ideas which companies are likely to donate to us, or sponsor us, in return for some favourable publicity in the local media, online etc???

Any ideas gratefully recieved!!!

Blue Bird · « **Reply #1 on:** March 24, 2007, 18:59:31 »

Try your local B&Q Homebase Asda and Tesco they are usually ok as long as you write and have it all official like but go in person with said letter

also try your local companies that employ the local community they can be helpful and of course freecycle

best of luck
BB

steveuk · « **Reply #2 on:** March 24, 2007, 19:16:23 »

Could you try the lotto ?

I be quite happy to send you packs of seeds, flowers veg,s if that would help ?

not much i know but offer there.

Also maybe the location of your project ect, bit more background. be very interesting

knbsallotment · « **Reply #3 on:** March 24, 2007, 19:45:52 »

My project will be based in Kings Lynn, Norfolk, at the Fairstead estate allotments. This area is very deprived, but, with this project, we are hoping to regenerate most specifically, the allotment site, reducing the amount of vandalism, getting the kids to "grow their own," so that they will actually eat it, as well as to educate them, get them fit, and give them something to take pride in. If both parents and kids are getting something out of it, it's free to come and participate, and they get free fruit and veg at the end of it, in theory, they will jump at the chance.

Originally, was mainly thinking about the children at my partners school, but, having talked to one of my colleagues in social services, he pointed out that to improve my funding chances, and also to really encourage the community, I could work with the young offenders team, as the majority of the town's young offenders live on the Fairstead estate, and get them to serve their community service working the plots, and then giving them the option of continuing once their time is served. Then came the idea of children and adults with disability and learning difficulty.

The plans have spiralled! Think I need all the help I can get!!!

My colleague made the suggestion that I should consider running the project as a business, ploughing the profits back in, but paying myself a minimal salary, to allow me to devote as much time as possible to the project, going to all the local schools, giving talks on fresh foods, nutrition, fitness etc.

Also suggested I get in touch with a few celebrities, to see if they wanted to endorse it in any way!

My brain is spinning!

But any thoughts or suggestions are more than welcome!

knbsallotment · « **Reply #4 on:** March 24, 2007, 19:48:19 »

Thankyou for your kind offer of seeds also. Anything like that would be a great help. But don't want to take advantage of anyone's good nature!!!

manicscousers · « **Reply #5 on:** March 24, 2007, 20:03:23 »

send us a pm, knb, what type of seeds are you looking for, do you want any flower seeds, I usually get freebies with my magazines and don't ned any more so would be glad to send you them ;D

sazhig · « **Reply #6 on:** March 24, 2007, 20:43:29 »

Co-op do grants for community projects....then theres the big awarding bodies like comic relief, children in need and the lottery. Its worth asking your local/county council what schemes they have....our district council will do a search for you to see what grants you are entitled with so maybe yours do the same.

This site is really useful as well: http://www.grantnet.com

emmy1978 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 24, 2007, 21:14:21 »

my first thought was get in touch with your local special needs school. They will jump at the chance to have somewhere to take their kids, you could have a sensory garden for them, the teachers there will know good places to go for funding.
Phone your local paper and get them to come and do a story on your project and appeal for funding and support. You'll be amazed at what comes flooding in. We did it to save a community/learning centre that all us mummies were using for various courses while our bibbies were looked after in lovely intimate nursery. Its lottery funding was pulled as there is no glory for the lottery in paying staff wages, even though the place could not operate without paying its staff. We went on bit of a crusade and the YMCA came forward to fund it! They've kind of 'bought' it out now and it operates under them but it's still there!
Loacal gardening enthusiasts who have no garden may also enjoy helping you out, people in day centres/ retirement homes etc be glad to volunteer on your committee and lend their experience.
Definately try to find out which celebs have an interest in this sort of thing - try Charlie Boy, he likes gardening!!!

I think this is a brill idea knb - let us know how you get on.

knbsallotment · « **Reply #8 on:** March 24, 2007, 21:23:49 »

Thanks guys - it's great to have a little support, and a few ideas thrown into the mix. It's just nice to know that there are others out there who think the idea is a good one. Is very useful just to get the ideas out of my head and on screen, to see if anyone has any suggestions, or to tell me something I suggested is stupid! lol.

gary · « **Reply #9 on:** March 24, 2007, 22:11:32 »

Send me a PM, again I have a spare seeds also. Shame you are not in Hull I could sponsor a raised bed "GK Plumbing and Building Bed".
Sounds daft but local business may want to get involved if not to expensive even more so if local press involved.

Jeannine · « **Reply #10 on:** March 24, 2007, 22:27:11 »

Try the Rotary Club International, I am not sure about here but they were my best sponsers when I asked for anything in Canada.

Seeds of Italy sell 7 packets of their seeds for £3 plus £ 1 50 pp.

At first glance it doesn't seem so good but I ordered 2 lots plus some stuff for me, still only £ 1 50 pp for all and they sent me about 19 packets,really good things too. Perhaps you could get parents to sponsor a packet for say 25p.

XX Jeannine

Tee Gee · « **Reply #11 on:** March 25, 2007, 13:23:35 »

A wonderful idea but there is one very important aspect that I don't think you have covered and that is safety, health & welfare plus insurance.

We went the 'disabled'route and were successful in getting a substantial grant to purchase a 40ft tunnel and make raised beds.

I am afraid our allotment secretary got a bit 'power mad' and did everything 'his' way and I am afraid he just peoples backs up about the whole issue.

He just wouldn't be told!! for instance when it came to laying the 3ftx2ft paving flags to save money he wanted to make the paths 2ft wide whereas a few of us suggested the 3ft way to suit wheelchairs.

Needless to say he went his way and the paths are 2ft wide.

We also found that the quangos that donate these funds give no 'aftersales service' i.e. they get the press involved in what they are doing then once the hype is over you don't see them again (at least that was our experience)

It is left to the plot volunteers to do the rest including attracting likely candidates.

Our project was initiated about four years ago and we have had only one interested disabled party come along who instantly saw various problems they could not cope with, meaning all the work done (rightly & wrongly) turned out to be a 'white elephant'.

In fact now various plot holders (able bodied) who don't have greenhouses share the tunnel.

In fact I have been offered the bed that stretches up the middle of the tunnel if I want it this year.

So my advice for what it is worth is; Determine who's responsibility it is to look after these people, particularly in this 'claim culture' world we live in.

Another thought is; as responsible plot holders we are generally responsible for our own health & welfare when on the plots including such things as 'tetanus jabs'.

If this is a venture of some people looking after others (even if it is voluntary) make sure you have all the points covered.

I hopeI have not put the Khybers on your excellent well intended ideas but you asked for personal experiences and this was mine (ours)

knbsallotment · « **Reply #12 on:** March 25, 2007, 16:42:05 »

Tahnkyou, and yes, I have considered those aspects. Am due to speak to a couple of people re insurance etc tomorrow. I am hoping my funding will be enough to allow us to create toilet blocks etc also. As for the disabled aspect, I have thought these things through, as My sister is a teacher in a special school, and I have done quite a lot of voluntary "respite" care with these kids. So yes, wheelchair access etc is very important, as is simple things like ensuring you have chair level benches/sowing facilities etc.

So, no, you have not put me off, but it is always good to hear from people like yourself, as this allows me to keep my feet firmly on the ground! lol. I'm sure there's loads I've forgotten, but will hopefully remember as I go along!

machman5 · « **Reply #13 on:** March 25, 2007, 18:32:57 »

My hubbie used to work for Ikea and they love to get their teeth into community projects and schools. I'm not sure where your nearest one is but it's worth asking their HR department if they can offer anything.

Our allotment chairman asked for a table and benches for the bird watching area (local schools visit us there). They got a lovely big wooden table (no chairs though) donated.

My sister works at a school 30 miles away in East London, Thurrock Ikea being the closest, she asked if they could help out with any play equipment and she ended up with thousands of 'ball pool' balls!

It's got to be worth a try ;D
Good luck with your project - I work with Statemented kids and I am sure the kids you are targeting will love it!

knbsallotment · « **Reply #14 on:** March 25, 2007, 21:23:39 »

Yes, am hoping both the local, and larger companies will prove to be generous, meaning that I won't have to apply for such a huge amount of funding!

Am due to start trying to find ways of contacting celebreties that may be interested, such as Carol Klein - although quite irritating on the T.V she seems very passionate.

knbsallotment · « **Reply #15 on:** March 25, 2007, 21:24:29 »

Only trouble is - I don't know what order to do it all in!

MY POOR BRAIN!

manicscousers · « **Reply #16 on:** March 25, 2007, 21:30:02 »

make lists, otherwise you're not going to sleep, don't do ray's trick..I come down and find him, 2 am..working things out ;D good job he's retired

knbsallotment · « **Reply #17 on:** March 26, 2007, 06:53:53 »

Have started listing, and now I have paper everywhere! lol.

Will give you all an update as soon as I have spoken to the local council etc.

emmy1978 · « **Reply #18 on:** March 26, 2007, 11:06:34 »

hi knb, glad to see you've had so much good advice. My college tutor used to also work with statemented kids and one of her projects was an allotment. She said the way they got around a lot of the health and safety and inclusion problems was to have separate areas for different ability groups. So, less able children worked in the potting shed and managed that particular area, the more able did the planting out and watering etc.However, their site was purely for use by the children from the school.

You are planning to allow lots of different people to use the site so would you need a sort of rota system, eg, Monday and Wednesday mornings, local probation group and Tuesday afternoon for kids from SEN school, Fri morning for learning disabled adults etc? This might make it more complicated or easier! Hard to tell which. But it would mean that ramps and things could be semi permanant features. Again, whether this would make it more or less difficult i don't know. Not very helpful really, but sort of thinking out loud! Also don't forget all adults involved will neeed to be police checked if you're working with children!
I just wish I lived near you so I could be involved!!

knbsallotment · « **Reply #19 on:** March 26, 2007, 12:21:45 »

Yes, I quite like the idea of a rota, but don't want to limit peoples time too much.

I was considering having an open weekend, and inviting the entire forum down for they day, for cakes and biccies and drinks - in exchange for a little help with digging / clearing etc!!!

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Author Topic: Community allotment project (Read 5105 times)