DHI wins a Bath in Bloom award
Peter collecting DHI's Bath in Bloom award for its allotment at the Guildhall in Bath
An allotment managed by the clients of a local charity won a Bath in Bloom award last night (Monday 22 August).
Developing Health and Independence's (DHI) allotment at Lower Common East on the Upper Bristol Road in Bath was entered in the category of the Best Allotment by a Community Group or School category. The charity was given a Bronze award at a ceremony at the Guildhall from the Bath in Bloom organisers.
The allotment was started in 2004 and many of DHI's clients, who have issues such as homelessness, learning disabilities or alcohol or drug problems, have worked there. The work is therapeutic and it provides an opportunity for them to build life skills and prepare for future employment.
The allotment has a variety of plants - herbs such as fennel, mint and sage, and vegetable including cauliflowers, cabbage, beetroot, chard, beans, beans, potatoes and courgettes. Its fruits include strawberries, raspberries, redcurrants and blackcurrants.
The allotment is not just good for producing food - the clients grow flowers such as lilies, daisies, camomile, iris, lavender, primrose, clematis and marigolds.
The recent development at the allotment has been carried out by Peter (not his real name), who has overcome years of drug addiction. Peter is pictured below (right) at the allotment.
He worked on the allotment as a DHI client and is now employed to manage it. He is about to begin studying for a qualification in addiction counselling.
The garden is open officially from noon-3pm Wednesdays and 11am-2pm on Saturdays, but Peter works at other times unofficially.
"I weed, mulch and look after all these plants," he said. "I love the fact that part of my diet is not from supermarket chains and that I'm providing my own food. I'm from a country area and I'm not a townie, so I feel it's part of me. The garden is also a good part of my social life." He said he was "really delighted and proud" that DHI had received the Bath in Bloom award.
Peter does not use chemicals such as insecticide, only organic growth spray, and he has built a stone oven for drying vegetables and making bread. His most recent work was to start growing onions - last June staff broke up an area of the allotment that had been a rubbish dump and turned it into an onion bed from seed.
DHI also runs a market stall at Green Park every Thursday afternoon as part of its social enterprise projects.
