To receive a presentation from Heidi Chow of the GROW Community Garden based in Loughton. The Grow Community Garden is an inclusive community garden in Loughton which bring people together in a safe and supportive outdoor space to grow organic vegetables.
Minutes:
Heidi Chow, Project Co-ordinator of the Grow Community Garden was invited to give a presentation to the Select Committee to demonstrate the voluntary work that she did in the community.
The Grow Community Garden were a community food growing project based in Loughton. Their vision was to bring people from across the community to a safe and supportive environment to grow organic vegetables together.
In April 2016 Loughton Town Council offered a piece of land in Loughton to the Grow Community. The land was an overgrown piece of waste land covered in weeds and brambles. They accepted Loughton Town Council’s offer and work began in clearing the land and making it into the community garden that it was today. The Grow Community applied and were successful in securing grants through the Council’s Grant Aid Scheme, this has enabled the group to grow the scheme and provide essential equipment to be able to continue. Recently they been able to buy and erect a poly tunnel which gives the only shelter on the land and enables the volunteers to shelter and protects the young vegetable plants from the weather elements.
There were two sessions which ran weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays and they were open all year round. Under normal circumstances this project was a drop in basis and all volunteers were provided with lunch and refreshments. Since Covid-19 they have still been open, practising social distancing and asking volunteers to bring in their own food and drink.
People of all ages volunteer and they have a say in the construction and planning of the site. A range of community events were held throughout the year such as:
· Easter egg hunt which has been running for 3 years; and
· Family and children workshops.
We have partnerships with schools, colleges and offenders who pay back to the community by doing supervised work in the district. Attending weekly were people from ELC Loughton Day Centre who support people with learning disabilities and autism and Oak View School in Loughton who support 3-19 years olds with special educational needs.
The food that was grown was taken home by the volunteers who attend the group and anything left would be donated to the local community.
Benefits of community food growing
· Builds community especially for people who were socially isolated;
· Promotes health and wellbeing;
· Helps build skills - intergenerational skill sharing, helps unemployed people to build skills and confidence; and
· Sustainable environment – learning how to grow organic vegetables.
The Grow Community brings people together in all walks of life, it builds confidence and self esteem helping people to interact with each other, learning new skills, sharing ideas and treating each other with respect.
The Chairman thanked Ms Chow for attending the Select Committee and for giving a very interesting presentation to the Select Committee. He asked if they had a website and thought it would be a good idea to promote this initiative to other Councils.
Heidi Chow advised that their website was Growloughton.org.uk
Councillor S Rackham asked how many volunteers attended the Grow Community Garden and what could the Select Committee do to help this group.
Ms Chow stated that there were approximately 25 volunteers across the two days they were open. There were also approximately 12 volunteers from Oakwood School and 7 from ELC Loughton Day Centre who attended on Wednesdays.
Last year there were over 300 visitors to the Grow Community who came by recommendations and social media advertising.
The Council have given so much support to this project from the Grant Aid funding, last year we were able to buy the materials to build height beds to make the project more accessible for wheelchair volunteers.
Councillor D Wixley stated that access to the site was land owned by Loughton Town Council and also Epping Forest District Council so he advised Heidi to contact the Town Council to make sure that disabled access would still be available.
Heidi Chow confirmed that she had written to the Town Council and asked if their access gates could be moved, she was still waiting to hear back.
Councillor S Murray advised that he had seen this project grow from when it started in 2016. I have seen people that were unemployed develop their social skills and go on to find permanent employment. It was the projects decision for what they could sustain elsewhere but this was a Loughton project supported by Loughton Town Council and I am sure they would be able to help and advise other parts of the district to set up similar projects.
Councillor Murray also stated that he would like to report on a slightly different issue in a few meeting of the Council I have been urging Members to join the Covid Crises and about how wonderful the mutual aid groups were and the person behind those mutual aid groups was Heidi Chow, the initiative that she took in setting up these groups was phenomenal.
Councillor R Brookes asked if the volunteers had done safeguard training regarding the vulnerable adults and children that attended the project.
Ms Chow advised that because the Group was under a charity restore community there was a nominated safeguarding person that attended the Group and given safe guarding to all of our volunteers. Oak School and ECL Loughton brought their own adult carers with them to support, help and guide them.
The Chairman thanked Heidi Chow for attending the meeting and giving such a refreshing and informative presentation.