The Allotments Regeneration Initiative (ARI) was launched by the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens (FCFCG) on behalf of the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation in 2002.  The project is currently funded by the Big Lottery Fund, Department for Communities and Local Government, and the Fund for the Environment and Urban Life.

Aims

• Support and develop allotments regeneration and the creation of brand new allotment sites in the UK.
• Gather and disseminate information about good practice in allotments management.
• Maintain and develop profile of allotments with public and government.
• Encourage sustained devolved management by allotment associations as the primary volunteer and community-based actor in allotment regeneration.

Ethos

ARI has developed far beyond its original aspiration to simply “get more people growing on allotments” and now has a clear and unique brand that is recognised by government and public:

• We will help anyone, anywhere in the UK, and never turn anyone away.
• We are impartial, independent and professional. Policy-makers and interpreters recognise us as a professional initiative that can be relied upon to deliver high quality technical information and publications.
• We are experimental, flexible, responsive, and have an evolutionary style, which is user-led. The project is “different” and has created vision and momentum in the allotments movement.

Governance

ARI is a UK-wide partnership project.  The partners are the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens (FCFCG) and the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners (NSALG).

The Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens (FCFCG) project manages the Allotments Regeneration Initiative project. FCFCG, a charity managed by an elected Board of Trustees, is the legal recipient of ARI funds and the accountable body for ARI's work.

With rising demand for allotments the time is right to bring in more people with wider experiences of allotments to advise the FCFCG Board on the future development of the ARI project. With this in mind, ARI has recently created a new “ARI Advisory Group.” All members of the ARI Advisory Group are people who have a wide and varied knowledge from across the allotments spectrum , and include representatives of our partnership bodies.

The members are:
o    Martin Stott, Trustee, Fund for the Environment and Urban Life
o    Shirley Fleetwood, NSALG Regional Representative for the East Midlands 
o    Judy Wilkinson, Scottish Allotments and Gardens Society
o    Jeff Barber, former ARI Mentor
o    Dr Richard Wiltshire Kings College London and allotments advisor to FCFCG Board
o    Mike Brannigan Outdoor Facilities Manager, North Tyneside Council
o    Jan Williams, Parks Project & Policy Officer, London Borough of Bexley
o    Jeremy Iles, Director, FCFCG
o    Deborah Burn, ARI UK Network Co-ordinator.

Day-to-day governance lies with the FCFCG Director, with overall responsibility lying with the FCFCG Board of Directors.  All administrative and financial functions are provided by FCFCG.

"After many years of effort, we have managed to obtain over £30,000 of grants and now have a special plot for people with special needs and wheelchair users. We have also just installed a new canteen and flushing toilets, also accessible for wheelchairs. This has freed up our large Committee Room which will now be used by our user group for educational purposes. We have been encouraged along the way by your Initiative and by your Mentoring service (Alan Hull) - so many thanks for helping us along with our project." Jane Baxter, Sefton Park Allotments, Liverpool