Tag: community

Saddleworth Incredible Edible 2021 review

By Sheila Thorp

After a busy and positive first season, we have had time to take stock during these last few weeks, and also to begin planning for next year.

Despite the inevitable slow start due to Covid, the Parish yard in Uppermill has proved to be a good growing area as well as having the beginnings of a community hub. One of the delights has been our growing links with members of the Parish and a range of groups which use the centre. It has been good to share the monthly coffee morning during these cold months – inside and out!

Elsewhere, St Mary’s Church have agreed to provide an area to start a Greenfield IES.

There are a growing number of planters by the canal, thanks to ICAN and we have taken over some containers in the grounds of Saddleworth Cemetery.

In addition, a productive meeting with Oldham Council environmental staff and councillors for Saddleworth has resulted in IES taking over part of the Nature Garden behind the Brownhill centre. Further work on this will begin in the early spring when a large, cleared bed will be made available.

All this new work means that we are creating a range of sites around Saddleworth (and so becoming more visible and accessible) and small teams of us will need to concentrate on different ones. Happily, we are slowly but steadily acquiring growing interest and new volunteers. We hope for even more in 2022.

We are also developing links with residents of ages, and hope next year to begin organising small activities which will encourage families and local schools to get involved, making use of a range of vegetables, herbs and fruit.

Our wider links continue, initially with the experienced team in Todmorden, and more locally with VIP at Waterhead and of course, with Get Oldham Growing.

For more information regarding Incredible Edibles Saddleworth contact incredibleediblesaddleworth@gmail.com

Lovely leeks headed to veg boxes

These frosty leeks were sown last summer and are now being dug from the beds at The Hub, Alexandra Park.

Dug, trimmed and packed in veg boxes to distribute to the Foodbank. 

Leeks along with garlic can tolerate the cold months over winter so are a great crop for winter harvests. Good planning is needed. These leeks were sown late back in April 2021 so you do need to plan ahead.

Garlic is planted a bit later in autumn and benefits from the cold spell over winter. The garlic however won’t be ready to harvest until the summer. 

To find out more about the veg grown at The Hub, Alexandra Park contact hannah.williams@oldham.gov.uk

Reflections from Bee Together Community Garden

By Pauline Riley

Last year was the first time we grew our own vegetables.

In the main we were very successful, considering that most of our volunteers had little or no experience of growing food.

Our cabbages, carrots, potatoes, leeks, broad beans, onions, lettuce and more were all produced either from seed or vegetable plug plants.

The produce was shared with neighbours and older parishioners.

This year we are planning to grow even more vegetables which means we’ll be able to share with the wider community.

Our garden is open to anyone and we usually work on Saturday mornings 10am – 12pm. Please come and join us.

To find out more contact Pauline Riley via pauline.riley2@gmail.com, 07809 434 140 or see Facebook page ‘Bee Together Community Garden – Laudato Si’

Fullwood Community Garden proud of achievements in 2021

By Joyce Ward

At Fullwood Community Garden we are proud that we have carried on growing a range of vegetables, fruit and flowers that have generated the only income (apart from occasional grants) that the garden has had in the past year.

Based on bottom Sholver, the garden is well established, but in 2021, sadly we lost two friends – our committee Chair and an active garden volunteer.

Consequently, since the pandemic started, the growing and the ongoing maintenance has continued with just two volunteers.

We have made gooseberry, strawberry and apple jams; apple and pear chutney and pickled and delicious caramelised onions from the fruit and veg we’ve grown.

We sell them at local events including local Autumn and Christmas fayres.

We were lucky to win cash prizes from a number of classes we entered at Sholver and Moorside flower and vegetable show including potatoes, salad tray, onions, shallots, garlic, beetroot. The cash gets ploughed back into the purchase of seeds, compost etc.

We were excited to have grown our first pumpkin and raffled it to make £10.

Can you help Fullwood Community Garden Team to grow more in 2022?

To find out more about volunteering and supporting Fullwood Community Garden and Nature Reserve contact Joyce Ward on email joyce5729.jw@gmail.com

Sustainable Gardens on Osborne Street

A 12 week Sustainable Gardening project took place on Osborne Street, Oldham.
Asmina Choudhury (Neighbourhood Engagement Officer) from Jigsaw Homes, organised the project which was delivered in partnership with Northern Lily.

Everyone who took part was able to share ideas, it was a way to engage with nature, meet others and get active.

The partnership saw the delivery of AQA Sustainable Garden Awards to eight of the residents. Some of the topics covered were: the no dig approach, pollination, seeding and making your own food from the plants. These residents have now achieved a recognised qualification certificate for just doing something they really enjoyed.

Once the project was completed, all the residents got together to celebrate their hard work. They created some lovely meals using potatoes, apples and runner beans they had grown in their garden.  

Residents from 17 households were inspired to work in their gardens, alongside their neighbours. Lots of the residents said “it was a life changing experience” because it connected them with the community, created a sense of feeling safe and laid the foundations for making lifelong friends.

For more information about this project contact Asmina Choudhury at Jigsaw Homes Asmina.choudhury@jigsawhomes.org.uk

Blue Coat students work towards horticulture award

Weekly gardening activities at The Hub, Alexandra Park with a group of students from Blue Coat School have restarted, delivered by Northern Lily, a local Community Interest Company.

During these regular horticulture sessions, which are commissioned by Get Oldham Growing, the students will gain skills and knowledge to complete an AQA award.

The ongoing project aims to engage young people to learn practical gardening skills and knowledge, and physically be involved in growing, caring for and harvesting from the fruit and vegetable plants.

The young people have really enjoyed the sessions. So far, they’ve been busy getting to know each other, learning about tool safety, planting onion sets, transplanting broad beans, weeding and mulching growing beds, soil sieving and documenting their learning in workbooks.

Community Project Lead Fran shows the produce growing in Glodwick