Allotment Week '23
All throughout August we’ve been working hard with young people from the local area to build a wellbeing corner in our allotment space.
The over-grown allotment has needed a lot of attention since we recently took it over so our Digging Deep volunteers have been hard at work for the past couple of months. However, it has also been at the centre of a number of incidents of antisocial behaviour (ASB) - most recently, a shed was set on fire leading to the fire brigade being called out. In a bid to make the space safer and more accessible to young people we partnered with Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner to access funding and develop a five-week Summer Gardening Club. It is the first step in turning the tide of ASB and vandalism while encouraging young and old to get to know each other and work together.
The wellbeing corner will give young people somewhere to sit and reflect, surrounded by mature apple trees and fresh herbs. We hope that by giving younger people ownership of part of the allotments, they will take special care of the area and discourage ASB in future.
Dean Johansen-Berg, CVL Community Manager, said: “At first, we had a mixed reaction to the project from allotment holders.
“Some of them thought by bringing young people to the allotments, they were going to cause trouble but it’s actually had the opposite effect because of that element of education.
“The project is now bridging the gap between generations. Instead of young people thinking “There’s that old man, who always shouts at me,” they now think “There’s that old man, who was in World War Two and has a story to tell.”
“The older people are less likely to think “That’s just some kid in a hooded top out to cause trouble” and more likely to say “That’s the young person, who comes to the allotment and helps to dig it over.” “
For Cleveland PCC Steve Turner, the summer allotment programme fulfilled a lot of the aims of his Antisocial Behaviour Fund.
He said: “Giving young people ownership of an area and encouraging them to have pride in their surroundings means they are less likely to get involved in vandalism and antisocial behaviour.
