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COMMUNITY PLOT - THAMES WATER RESPONSE
On October 23rd 2009 Ms Grey managing director of Thames Water Property Services, the allotments' landlord wrote "we would be prepared to consider (the project) if the Council were to rent the land directly from us and take responsibility for the use by the Intergenerational Project "
TWPS have re-numbered the allotment plots. Number 21 is now two plots, numbered 11 and 12.
On March 15th 2010, Councillors Sally Prentice and Clare Whelan presented a petition of 420 signatures in support of the Project to Lambeth Council. Lambeth has now met the landlord Thames Water Property Services (TWPS) and is poised to meet us.
April 2010, Lambeth Council have met TWPS and plan to meet with FOWAA to move this forward. Click here for a leaflet on Intergenerational Work.
Download the Intergenerational Work leaflet | PDF Format | 684KB
BACKGROUND
PLOT 21 project is the elderly intergenerational allotment gardening befriending project that has run successfully on site for 3 years. Wheelchair bound elderly aged 70-91 years and volunteers aged 16-60 enjoy allotment gardening and sharing the plot with two primary schools who have used the space for outdoor classes. A school takes many lessons from the allotments into the curriculum and it is hoped to develop even more links with the elderly over time.
It is widely recognised that initiatives such as these build respect between the generations. The project is facilitated by the Friends, a voluntary group, and has gained funding to secure its future. This project is set to encourage everyone to live a better, healthier life.
BUT this inspirational project is now in need of your support to ensure it is to continue into the future for letter suggestions click here.
In the midst of the application process Thames Water was sold to new owners and the Friends decided to make a further application at the highest level, we wrote to the new Chief Executive officer David Owens. To read our letter click here.
To read a letter of support from the Regional Manager of Windmill Lodge Care Home click here.
Photographs courtesy of David Tett from Lambeth Life and Helen Sharrock
FEBRUARY 2009
No further meetings were called. Correpondence with Thames Water confirms they will consider or think about the issues raised at the meeting five months ago.
VOLUNTEERS FROM THE CITY COME TO WINDMILL ALLOTMENTS
On a lovely sunny day KPMG a city firm sent its employees to help clear overgrown areas on the Allotments and then began to adjust the position of the raised beds. Their second day brought monsoon rains but they soldiered on. More clearing days are planned to clear and level the allotment plots lost in the undergrowth and breath new life back into these forgotten corners of the site.
SEPTEMBER 2008 MEETING WITH THAMES WATER
Friends of Windmill Allotments attended an optimistic meeting in September with Thames Water Property services new team. They have plans to manage the Allotments in Brixton more efficiently. Issues discussed and agreed to forward up the Company system were - ensuring vacant plots are relet in smaller urban plot sizes, clearing wasted space to create new smaller allotment plots, and supporting the community project plots. There will be more news later, after follow up discussions with the company.
GARDENING HISTORY
History alive, London fed itself in the dark days of the second world war by turning all possible space into growing space. Now living in the local care home a lady brings history alive by telling of the days when her friends, neighbours and she herself did allotment gardening on Clapham Common. London was on its knees in the war and had to change large parts of common land and parks previously left for leisure walking and ornamental planting into food growing areas to keep its people alive. Today, the weekly visit to the beautiful allotment garden here has opened up to the elderly and the children alike an understanding of how local initiatives are still making positive differences to peoples lives.
GARDENING IS GOOD FOR YOU!
Research shows gardening lengthens your life.