A disabled children’s home in Merton is reaping the rewards of a ‘grow your own food’ scheme.
By Rachel Bishop, Chris Baldwin, Samantha Tomaszczyk, Kieran Walsh and Lauren Dew.
A disabled children’s home in Merton is reaping the rewards of a ‘grow your own food’ scheme.
Brightwell Children’s Respite Home is one of many community groups which have joined Capital Growth, a project encouraging people to grow their own fruit and vegetables.
“It has been really beneficial for us,” said manager John Scarisbrick.
“The allotment is so productive that we can’t eat it all.”
Capital Growth fund weekly visits to help the children plant and maintain the plot.
The London Mayor is granting up to £1,000 to turn underused land into vegetable patches. Members will receive expert advice, discounted tools and seeds.
Applications must be submitted by November 8 and should demonstrate at least five people will benefit – a requirement reflecting the scheme’s aim to bring communities together.
Some Merton residents have questioned whether the money funding the scheme would be better used elsewhere while government cuts are affecting key areas of public funding.
Allotment owner Andy from Wimbledon said: “We are cutting funding to hospitals, to the armed forces this seems like a waste. It’s all about priorities.”
However, Sustainable Merton, a charity working with the scheme think it is money well spent.
Co-ordinator Tom Walsh said: “With oil becoming scarcer in Britain we will have to grow more of the food we eat and become more self-sufficient.
“You almost need to learn these skills for your survival before it is too late. It’s a very basic skill which mankind has done for thousands of years.”
For information or to apply for a grant, go to www.captialgrowth.org.
