Category: volunteering

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Green Flag Award 2019

Dorset Road Allotments and Leisure Gardens in Beckenham, South East London has been recognised by the Green Flag Award Scheme as one of the very best in the world. Dorset Road Allotments and Leisure Gardens joins 407 other green spaces awarded recognition in London.

The community green space is among a record-breaking 1,970 UK parks and green spaces and 131 in thirteen other countries around the world, that will today receive a prestigious Green Flag Community Award – the mark of a quality park or green space.

This international award, now into its third decade, is a sign to the public that the space boasts the highest possible environmental standards, is beautifully maintained and has excellent visitor facilities.

Chair of Dorset Road Allotments and Leisure Gardens, Linda Phillips MBE, said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive a Green Flag Award for the 16th year.

“We know how much quality green spaces matter to residents and visitors, and this award celebrates the dedication that goes into maintaining Dorset Road Allotments to such a high standard.

“Our community garden is managed and maintained entirely by volunteers – both those who have allotment plots on site and members of the local community.  I would like to thank them for their hard work and commitment. This year our aim is to make the site even more wildlife and bee friendly and have been working with the community on new features.”

International Green Flag Award scheme manager Paul Todd said: “It’s fantastic that we have more Green Flag Awards in the UK than ever before, joined this year by 131 International winners.”

“Each flag honours the thousands of staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to maintain the high standards demanded by the Green Flag Award. We congratulate each and every winner on their fantastic achievement.”

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Thank you to all our volunteers!

Following a suggestion at the AGM, we now have a whiteboard outside the Clubhouse listing the jobs around the site that need doing.

We have had a fantastic response from Members and their friends who have been doing a wide range of tasks, including:

  • tidying the compost area
  • mowing the grass
  • tidying and weeding the secret garden.
  • strimming and covering plots ready for new tenants
  • fixing leaky pipes
  • serving food at events
  • showing visitors around the site
  • sowing wildflower plants.

The committee would like to say a HUGE thank you to everybody who has helped  maintain our allotment site.  As well as being somewhere for us to grow fruit and vegetables it is a fantastic community garden.

If you haven’t had a chance to help out yet, there are always a wide range of jobs available – from helping to open the shop on a rota, cutting grass through to admin tasks – just speak to a committee member or put your name down on the board.

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Seedy Sunday – 24th March 2019

When we were consulting on what people wanted to see at Dorset Road Allotments,  members frequently asked for opportunities to come together as a community to do something to benefit the site as well as get to know each other.  Our first community day was in February when we planted new hedging and seed bombed the wildlife garden.  Seedy Sunday on 24th March is our second community day.

Come along to the Clubhouse to swap any spare seeds or plants with your fellow plotholders, help sow seeds to sell at the open day and learn from experts.  You can also have a cup of tea or coffee with your fellow allotmenteers.

The shop will also be open so that  you can stock up on any gardening equipment or buy some seeds at a discounted price.

We look forward to seeing you on the 24th March.