In a combined project called 'The Edible Garden', the Whaddon Police Safer Community Team (SCT) are working together with the St Pauls Road Area Residents Association and the University of Gloucestershire to turn a piece of land on the Francis Close Hall campus into a climate change resistant allotment garden.
The aim of the project is to bring people who live, work and study in St Pauls together to learn skills for surviving and thriving in the 21st century. With increasing food prices, climate change, high-energy prices and unemployment, growing vegetables can be a great way not just to get healthy food but also to create a strong community where people look after each other.
PC Lynn Aston from the SCT said: “The aim of this project is to bring people of all ages and backgrounds from the St Pauls community together to not only create the garden but also enjoy it afterwards.”
Work on the garden is going to begin this Saturday, February 14, when a group of teenagers from The Gaptime Project and members of the Residents of St Pauls Association will be assisting green fingered officers from the SCT in clearing the area of rubbish and weeds.
The design of the garden will be based on well-established permaculture principles, adapted for local conditions, and designed to provide food, despite the uncertainties of climate change.
“The project received funding from Cheltenham Borough Council through the Community Pride allocation, to whom we are very grateful. We’d also like to thank the University of Gloucestershire, The St Pauls Road Area Residents Association and the students for helping this exciting project get off the ground,” added PC Aston.
11th February 2009