At The Fifth Trust, we’re always looking for ways to connect with our local community and make the most of our resources. Our allotments at Barham Skills Centre, though full of potential, had become too much for us to tend alone. Rather than let them go to waste, we saw an opportunity to offer them to local charities and community groups who could breathe new life into the space – and bring real benefit to the people they support.

We’re now running a pilot year with two brilliant organisations: Headway, a local brain trauma charity, and Bloomin Organic, a soon-to-be-registered charity founded by two passionate growers. It’s a mutual partnership that benefits everyone — and it’s been wonderful to see our site buzzing with activity.

Dave from Bloomin Organic has kindly shared their story.

Andy and I started growing from our allotments in Dover, giving the odd veg box of surplus produce to the food bank. It became apparent there was a real need in the area and we could do more. With collaboration from other tenants, we grew on six plots and began to properly supply the food bank and a café for the homeless.

When we lost the use of the allotments (because we were growing for other people), we thought all was lost. We are both passionate about growing good, clean, herbicide-, pesticide-, and fertiliser-free food. We also know things are going to get worse for people, and so decided to form a charity (it’s Bloomin Organic) and find something, somewhere.

Simply by chance — or fate — we came across Peter Stratton from The Fifth Trust through a friend, and after hearing our story, he helped to arrange us taking over the allotment at Greenbanks six weeks or so ago.

Our real plans for the plot are simply to maximise productivity by working as closely with nature as possible. For now, we have been able to make a few beds with compost we found and have tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, parsnips, beets, beans, radish, squashes, potatoes and courgettes starting to grow — but the bulk of the plot will be ready for next season.