National Allotments Week 2020 10th – 16th August

Photo credit: Irish Macc

With lovely sunshine forecast, the theme for 2020’s National Allotments Week is Growing Food for Health and Well-being, a reflection of the many benefits of growing, cooking and eating your own fruit and vegetables.

Broadwindsor Allotments 2020. Photo credit: Irish Macc

National Allotments Week started in 2002 as a way of raising awareness of allotments and the role they play in helping people to live healthier lifestyles, grow their own food, develop friendships and bolster communities. The campaign week is still thriving 18 years later and interest in growing your own fruit and vegetables has never been stronger since the WW2 Grow for Victory campaign.
They ran a competition last month asking for ‘My Allotment Story‘ from entrants in the form of videos and storyboards, the winner will be announced on August 10th.

Broadwindsor Allotments – Harvesting redcurrants 2020. Photo credit: Irish Macc

The National Society of Allotment & Leisure Gardeners Ltd, whose Patron is HRH Prince of Wales, has existed in one form or another as far back as 1901, when the Agricultural Organisation Society’s aims, established co-operation amongst agriculturists and the organisation of small holdings and allotments. It was Registered in 1930 under the Industrial & Provident Societies Acts.
In the late 1500’s under Elizabeth I common lands used by the poor for growing food and keeping animals began to be enclosed dispossessing the poor. In compensation allotments of land were attached to tenant cottages. This is the first ever mention of allotments.