The Growing East Middlesbrough Project has been set up with the primary aims of improving the health, skill levels and employability of the residents of a disadvantaged area of Middlesbrough. This is being achieved by helping the local residents to grow fruit and vegetable for their own consumption.

 

To achieve these aims we offer a number of free facilities to those who are novice growers or those who wish to give it a go. These include-

• Small taster plots at Town Farm on Cargo Fleet Lane for those who want to try growing on a smaller scale.

• Access to a communal pool of basic tools and equipment

• Ongoing advice and support from our team of experts

• Informal or accredited training to improve your skills or employability

• Advice visits to your own premises if you wish to grow at home or on a shared site including schools and community venues.

So far we have set up a community site at Town Farm with a number of taster plots and an excellent training centre on site. This acts as a focus for our activities in the area as well as a social centre for local growers. If you would like to visit this site please contact us for details and a guided tour or talk to the resident allotmenteers.

 

Elsewhere in the area we have helped to establish growing schemes in a number of local schools, community sites and children’s centres and are also working with the Langridge Centre who can provide taster plots in the Park End area and access to a Community Orchard.

 

Our planned projects for the coming year include supporting new community groups onto the newly refurbished Berwick Hills allotment site and helping to create an edible forest garden at the Ormesby Beck nature reserve. Please get in touch if you or your organisation would like to get involved in any way.

 

The project is funded by the Big Lottery Fund Local Food Programme and the Middlesbrough Healthy Town Programme.