The funds are growing at Rose Hill allotments

Published by Peter Bird for New Charter Housing Trust Group in Communities and also in Housing

Rose Hill Allotment Society, based in Denton, has just seen their funds grow thanks to a £1,000 donation from New Charter Homes as part of the housing association’s new neighbourhood plans.

The plans identify activities needed to improve the quality of life across Tameside neighbourhoods based on feedback from residents.

The allotment in Rose Hill provides opportunities for individuals, families and community groups to engage in healthy recreational activities with the added bonus of being able to grow their own food.

It is not just the cultivating of vegetables and flowers that brings the local people to the allotment there are many who breed chickens and also a pigeon society.

Emma Wilson, New Charter’s director of communities said: “Our donation to Rose Hill is just one of the many actions we are taking to help make neighbourhoods better places to live, work and enjoy. We are keen to find out from our residents what needs to be done by both us and our partners in order to address any issues they may have.”

Through previous funding from Tameside Council’s ‘You Choose’ grant, which comes from recycling efforts by residents, the allotment society acquired toilets, car parking and a site hut.

The New Charter donation will now enable the society to apply this year for ‘match funding’ in order to purchase a ‘tool’ lock up and a generator to provide electricity for the on-site cabin.

The addition of the generator will help to continue the community gardening project which includes the access and raising of garden beds for disabled people and for the site hut to be utilised as a class room, meeting room and an on-site shop to sell the freshly grown produce to the local neighbourhood.

The cheque was presented by New Charter Homes' Gareth Machin to the Chair of Tameside Allotment Federation Thelma Ball.