Weymouth gardeners look to get healthy living funding (From Dorset Echo)

Weymouth gardeners look to get healthy living funding

4:00pm Wednesday 26th September 2012 in News By Emma Walker

WEYMOUTH gardeners are looking for funds to promote healthy living in the community.

Plot holders of the Faircross Allotment Association plan to use donations to improve the site.

They hope these efforts will encourage more people to start growing their own vegetables.

The Do It for Dorset campaign, which is backed by the Dorset Echo, is hoping to raise awareness and encourage donations to smaller local charities. The group plan to raise £17,000 to build a community hub with toilet facilities on the site at Marina Gardens.

It would provide a base for plot holders to meet and discuss gardening issues, exchange ideas and sell surplus produce.

The hub would also be used to hold seminars to educate the community about sustainable lifestyles and to encourage them to grow their own food.

Keith Davidge, 60, treasurer of the Association, said: “We are hopeful that this project will encourage more people to start to grow their own vegetables and enjoy a healthy living through what would be a very enjoyable hobby.

“The community hub would also help members to pursue these activities as well as improvement of the site as a whole and to encourage and educate others to do the same.”

He added: “We would hold seminars in the hub and hopefully encourage more people to grow their own vegetables.”

The gardeners were the first in the borough to take over management of the allotments from Weymouth and Portland Borough Council . It took seven years to finalise the details for a 15-year lease.

Anyone interested in becoming an plot-holder should contact Ken Randall on 01305 789368.

HOW TO DOUBLE YOUR DONATIONS

PEOPLE looking to support their local charity can now have their donations doubled.

Anyone who gives money to the charities or community groups involved in the Do it for Dorset campaign can get their one off donations matched.

The Grow Your Tenner campaign will see donations of up to £10 and direct debit payments of up to £30 matched.

It started at 10am on Tuesday, September 25 and will last until a total of £500,000 runs out.

Some Dorset charities involved are The Alcohol Education Trust, Future Roots, Dorset Advocacy and Dorset Reading Partners.

The Do it for Dorset campaign aims to raise awareness and encourage donations to smaller local charities.

For more information or to donate contact Tracy@dorsetcf org or on 01202 315 952.