We are delighted to be collaborating on several community projects that align with the United Nations Global Compact Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), that we have chosen to adopt as part of our Environmental Sustainabilty Framework (ESF).
We received an email from the committee of Shield Row Allotment Association explaining a little about their proposed COMMUNITY GARDEN PROJECT in the hope that Ecobelt may consider offering support towards getting it kickstarted.
The community garden, which will be accessible to both members and the local community.
It will encourage sustainable land management. It is hoped that as skills and confidence grow, some may wish to take on their own allotment.
The community garden produce will be available to take away free of charge. It is hoped that this will make a small financial impact to food budgets.
Children from Shield Row school will be regular visitors with their own space. It is hoped that this will encourage the children from a young age to engage with nature and develop practical life skills whilst having fun. The children will then become the educators by encouraging their parents and wider family to participate in the project improving their own wellbeing as well as that of the community and the environment.
Socially it will suit all ages and backgrounds and will offer a place to relax, engage with others.
It will encourage more people in the community to enjoy a nutritional healthy diet.
It will allow users to engage with nature and get active outdoors improving their own wellbeing as well as that of the community.
It will adopt Social prescribing in the form of a “Green Gym”
The Allotment Association have an assembly of volunteer members who each have their own invaluable experience, knowledge and advice in the building and growing of the project. Recycled materials will be used in construction wherever possible. Whilst the exact finer detail of design, methods and strategies are yet to be finalised.
The broader plan is to create raised beds, grow flowers, trees, vegetables, herbs and encourage pollinators. It will have structured pathways and safe and secure disabled access, having an impact for all users.
Phase 1
Create a hard access roads and carpark areas. Approximately 1200T of recycled crushed stone will be used as the foundation layer. This is necessary so that heavy plant equipment and other supply vehicles needed for the project will have leave minimal inconvenience (mud etc.) on the immediate residential roads during construction.
Much of the wood needed for fencing, raised beds, narrow beds, wide beds and trellising to allow dividing up the garden will be provided by Pearson Engineering Ltd recovered from heavy pallets from their component suppliers.
Volunteer members accompanied by Ecobelt staff will dismantle, de-nail and recover the wood from Pearson Engineering Ltd site (Armstrong Tank Factory on the river Tyne) and deliver it to Shield Row allotment site for construction.