Three years ago I was invited by Age Concern to visit a site in Waltham Forest. When we arrived we were very impressed with the way it was going. There were men and women working on plots of various sizes. They had a tea hut and a shop. It was interesting to see that some women came to the site just for the company, a chat and a cup of tea.

Our site in Dagenham consists of six acres. We only had nineteen members and the future looked bleak. A councillor told us that the allotment land is worth £1 million per acre and we realised that if we did not do something, we would lose the site.

With the backing of Age Concern, we formed a steering group and started to raise money. Age Concern started us off with £10,000 and then money came from other sources: Bridge House Trust, Groundwork East London, Barking & Dagenham Renewal and 5 A Day, just to mention a few.

We built raised beds with paved paths all around for people in wheelchairs. The hut has been insulated and painted and heating and cooking facilities have been installed. There is also a toilet with disabled access. 

To sum up, we have raised about £55,000 to date. We have had four barbeques and a Christmas dinner in the hut. Three and a half acres have been cleared and we have people waiting for us to clear more ground. What more can we ask for?

Dennis Riley
Committee Member

First published: ARI Newsletter Spring 2007