Home grown produce shared with local foodbank

Home grown produce shared with local foodbank

People supported at Fernleigh Activity Centre have been working on a home grown produce project for a number of months to give back to their local community.

At the beginning of the year a gardening Zoom session was set up in time for Spring. This was so that people could learn more about growing vegetables independently in time to plant some seeds. People took part in these sessions at home and at Fernleigh, for those who were receiving support.

Through a mixture of online and face to face support, people began learning about how to grow vegetables. They learnt when the right time to plant certain seeds are, and how to care for them. They soon began planting the vegetable seeds in the allotment at Fernleigh and at their homes. Over the next few months, the sessions have continued. People have learnt about the different stages of growth, techniques to look after the plants and help them grow, and how to pick the vegetables once they are ready for eating.

The group wanted to turn this project into something that could involve the local community around Weybridge. They discovered that the local Food Bank, set up by the Trussell Trust, was welcoming donations for people in crisis in the local area.

This was the perfect opportunity for the group. They were very excited to be able to take part by donating their home-grown vegetables and give back to people experiencing food poverty. Once the vegetables were ready for sharing with the Trussell Trust, the group organised to meet and prepare some food hampers, which they personally delivered to the food bank.

So far, they have already donated two large boxes of vegetables to the food bank. They really enjoy being able to take the vegetables themselves, talk to people about their new gardening skills, and give back to the community.

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