Turning off Liverpool's busy Smithdown Road, you approach Sefton Park, the city's great green lung. On both sides of the road you'll find allotments. On one side are Sefton Park allotments - 100 plots right on the edge of the park. On the other are Greenbank Lane allotments - 87 plots on a triangular piece of land, with a tower block squeezed onto the end overlooking the park. Two idyllic settings in urban Liverpool. Both sites are extremely popular and with long waiting lists.

Each site has it's own individual character, and for many years plotholders didn't "cross the road" to visit each other. That is, until Sarah Horton became chair of Greenbank Lane Allotments in June 2005. One of the first things she did, with her fellow new committee members, was to meet her colleagues on the Sefton Park committee. Sarah and Jane Baxter from Sefton Park have become firm friends, sharing their collective allotment knowledge and, over the last couple of years, supporting each other in their work on both sides of the road. 

"Allotments are far too insular," says Sarah, "we all have similar problems and if we share good practice then we?ll make life easier for the people who volunteer and make sure that these special places are preserved for future generations. That's our job."

And this is what they have been doing ...

Greenbank Lane Allotments

One of the great joys of an allotment is spending time there, alone, and feeling the pleasure of your own personal retreat from everyday life. Another of the other great joys is meeting people at the plots and talking to them; about life, how things are growing and simply enjoying a shared sense of the earth. But contact with other people on site happens sporadically and usually with the people who are your neighbours, or who you pass on the way to your plot.

Here at Greenbank Lane allotments in Liverpool we decided to make a formal opportunity for people to meet at regular events.

In October 2006 we had our second Pumpkin Party. Using the communal space on a plot used by a refugee support project, we had a bonfire, pumpkin and courgette soup and, of course, pumpkin pie!  Food, drink and wood for the fire were all donated by plotholders and everyone shared in the preparation (and clearing up). We also held a Spring Sunday event in May, with plant and seed swaps. We plan to make this an annual event.

Not all plotholders want to join in events like these, but for those that do it starts to build a sense of shared ownership of the plots. It doesn't need to be a big party, a small event with shared food and drink will do - and music always helps. Social events show that there really is a community caring for the place and we are creating shared memories and experiences, but in a low-key way that doesn't distract any of us from our gardens for too long. 

Sefton Park Allotments

Our Society has worked hard over the past few years to improve facilities on our site so that it is more accessible to all members of our local community. The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation provided the initial funding to get the project started.

Our first step was to improve access by providing a separate safe entrance for wheelchairs and pedestrians. We were then able to set aside a large plot, which was made accessible for wheelchair users. After consultation with our user group, we planned the plot as a flexible space containing two raised beds, several flat beds and a large polytunnel accessed by wide paved pathways with handrails.

Finally, we were able to purchase a new tearoom container unit and separate toilet unit accommodating two toilets (one for wheelchair users). After carefully examining the greener options, a septic tank system was installed as it was considered the most viable for future maintenance. Our large committee room is now available during the week for our user group so that training can take place in both classroom conditions and outdoors on Plot 80.

The new facilities are a great asset for all of us. In addition to the obvious benefits, we are now able to hold regular social events - helping to generate a supportive and friendly atmosphere on our site.
 
Jane Baxter, Sefton Park Allotment Society and Sarah Horton, Greenbank Lane Allotment Society
 
 
 First published: ARI Newsletter Spring 2007