WASHA Family Food Mentoring Project

Why did we start this project?
We are hugely disappointed whenever families give up their plots and when possible we ask why.

We have found that it is the pressure of family life.  Mothers who happily work with babies in slings find the crunch comes on their return to employment.  Some return after only an absence of a few weeks and find they are ‘weeded out’ and back to square one.  Others are discouraged by the poor results.  “I planted a full row of lettuce and when I returned the next day every plant had disappeared!”
“I dug for hours and got nowhere”.  “I read the books but when I was faced with the plot I didn’t know where to start!” are recurring comments.

Our site lost six families last year.

We felt that we should also encourage the school to keep their plot. In the past they have been discouraged by lack of success and were considering giving up.

WASHA tries to help plotholders in difficulties but the very informality of the approach mitigates against success.  Helpers don’t like to interfere; strugglers don’t like to “put upon” helpers by repeatedly asking for help and advice.  Other prospective helpers are unsure how to approach the struggler.

Feedback from plot holders and families clearly shows that a project with guidelines and co-ordinators was needed.

We  consulted the school.  The teachers told us that parents with the necessary skills and time to help are scarce.  Holiday periods are hard to cover for watering and weeding.

With this feedback in mind we began the process of working out what our aims should be and what we needed to meet them.  Obviously the budget expenses mounted up and were beyond the financial capabilities of WASHA which has no fund raising capacity.  Fortunately we were able to obtain a “small” grant from Big Lottery – Changing Places – Local Food which allowed the project to proceed.  Thank you Big Lottery!
The overall project aims are
• to assist those parents who want to grow food for their families on allotments
• to assist teaching staff at the nearby school to educate their pupils in growing food on the school allotment.
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Mentors (advisers) are drawn from an existing supply of excellent food producers who are allotment tenants on the Aldershot Road site.  Each participating family has a mentor assigned to them.  Mentors give advice which results in successful food production.  Mentors also give encouragement and where necessary can give practical hands-on help with cultivation, watering, and harvesting.  Grant monies are used to provide equipment which makes cultivation of the site soil (heavy clay) easier and also provides necessities such as fuel, soil improvers, nets, fertilisers and seeds.  It also funds goodwill payments to the mentors.
The school plot has a professional mentor who liaises with the teachers of the chosen age group for the year.  Together they have worked out the curriculum linkages which will help the children with a broad spectrum of educational activities. The children regularly visit their plot and are assigned different tasks.  Other WASHA members are called on to assist at peak activity times.  The children are learning all the basics of gardening.  They have tools made for children (funded by a separate Lottery grant) which are strong but manageable.  They dig, plant, rake and hoe.  Their favourite tasks are harvesting and all produce is distributed for their consumption.
Most of the work on their plot is done by the children themselves with enthusiasm and enjoyment.
They have already learned to identify the fruit and vegetables on their own plot.  They also benefit from supervised excursions around the site to see other crops under cultivation.  They can observe insects, slow worms and other site flora and fauna.
Here are the stated aims of the Project:-
By the end of the project there is a 75% reduction in the number of families who give up their plot through lack of support.
By the end of the first year families that have been supported by a mentor will report a 50% increase in the amount of food they have produced.
By the end of the project, 100 school children the school plot will have a better understanding of where their food comes from.
By the end of the project there is a 75% reduction in the number of families who give up their plot through lack of support.
By the end of the first year families that have been supported by a mentor will report a 50% increase in the amount of food they have produced.
By the end of the project, 100 school children the school plot will have a better understanding of where their food comes from.
As at the time of writing, July 09, all objectives are being met.
All mentored plots are producing food – many in abundance.  No families have given up and 60 of the 100 children (different 60 children next year) have learned the basics of food growing.
The Project was officially opened by a long time friend of the site, the Mayoress Pauline Searle who commented as follows:
“The community spirit on which this project relies is evident with benefits to all on site.
One of the most pleasing aspects is the social interaction between the generations.
The successful production of fresh, tasty, healthy food at a fraction of the shop cost makes a real contribution to family budgets in this time of recession.
At a time when fossil fuels are depleting rapidly, it is vital that sustainable production of local food is encouraged.  This is the primary purpose of Big Lottery’s funding and we are grateful for their investment in a Project which benefits families and children of our local community.”
Pauline judged a selection of scarecrows which were entered in a competition organised by the WASHA Secretary.  These are all in use on site and have certainly scared a lot of humans if not the crows and pigeons!
Light refreshments were served and some families took the opportunity to picnic on site
Thank you to all the plotholders who supported the Project Day and entered a Scarecrow, this reinforces the community spirit which is alive on the Aldershot Road site.  I hope that everyone will be as supportive of the sunflower competition, the date for which is to be advised soon.  Some feedback on this and whether we should have a family bar-be-cue would be very much appreciated.

A house (read allotment) divided cannot stand and the more support we have from plotholders the more we can stave off the possible threat of re-development. Support from everyone is required.