Allotments are set to grow in England, thanks to an unusual triple funding boost that includes the Big Lottery, central government - and an environmental fund from California.

Nearly £350,000 has been awarded to the Allotments Regeneration Initiative (ARI). The scope of the funding marks an increased awareness of the importance of providing food growing sites for local communities.

The grants will fund a network of Mentors, who offer expert advice and support to local communities wanting to set up or rejuvenate allotment plots. The result will be an increase in productive plots bursting with fresh, healthy local food. Meanwhile, allotments managers will also benefit from regional forums to spread good practice in allotments management and build supportive networks. 

ARI will oversee the Supporting Healthy Allotments programme, created with £299,000 from the Big Lottery’s Local Food Programme. And in the 2008/9 financial year, for the first time funds for allotment regeneration have been secured from central government, through the Department of Communities and Local Government to help ensure allotments are fully incorporated into the wider green spaces agenda.

But the most unusual source of funding for the good old British allotment comes from an unlikely overseas source – an environmental fund based in San Francisco called the Fund for the Environmental and Urban Life.

ARI’s Network Co-ordinator Deborah Burn, welcomed the grants: “The huge popularity of allotments has resulted in a marked increase in demands for new allotment sites. As a result of this generous award from Local Food, plus funding from CLG and FUEL, we envisage that communities will be better placed to have allotments that are accessible to all and bursting with locally grown food.

Jeremy Iles, Director of the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens, which manages the ARI project said: "There has been a huge surge in interest in growing local food, and many allotments now have waiting lists.ARI will offer practical support and advice to community groups and local authorities, parish councils and individuals, helping both existing allotment groups and those trying to create new sites. It's not easy, but learning from others - through our unique allotment Mentors Network - is the best starting point".

Mark Wheddon, Local Food Programme Manager, added: “Projects like these are crucial in our aim to make local food more accessible and affordable. With a record £50 million to distribute, the Local Food Programme will make a real difference to communities and their relationship with food.”

Notes to Editors

Local Food: Local Food has been developed by a consortium of 15 national environmental organisations, and is managed on their behalf by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT). Supported by the Big Lottery Fund's Changing Spaces programme, Local Food will distribute grants to a variety of food related projects to make locally grown food more accessible. www.localfoodgrants.org

The Big Lottery Fund: Is the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, has been rolling out £2 million in Lottery good cause money every 24 hours to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK. www.biglotteryfund.org.uk.

Communities and Local Government
press.office@communities.gsi.gov.uk
www.communities.gov.uk/
Communities and Local Government's vision is to create sustainable communities where people want to live, work and raise a family.

Fund for the Environment and Urban Life
www.enviro-urban.org
Info@Enviro-Urban.org
Run by the Oram Foundation, the Fund’s mission is to fund projects and programs with promise of significant local or broader-reaching impacts on environmental quality and urban life.

Federation of City Farms & Community Gardens
www.farmgarden.org.uk
admin@farmgarden.org.uk
FCFCG is a registered charity which supports, represents and promotes community-managed farms, gardens, allotments and other green spaces, creating opportunities for local communities to grow. They work with these community groups to help empower local people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to build better communities, often in deprived areas, and to make a positive impact on their surrounding environment. The charity also provides the national face of the community farm and garden movement, promoting its work and raise its profile with decision-makers, funders, the public and the media. This work contributes to creating better communities across the UK in both urban and isolated rural areas.

Allotment images are available for press and media: contact ARI Network Co-ordinator, Deborah Burn on 0191 262 8276 or ari@farmgarden.org.uk