Allotment donation project 'life-changing' for children

Food and crop donations from an allotment to a youth club have been "life-changing" for children, according to club staff.

Since June last year, Deddington Allotment Society has donated hundreds of kilos of freshly grown fruit and vegetables to Rose Hill Junior Youth Club (RHJYC).

The Grow A Row scheme has saved the club hundreds of pounds, taught children about growing food and improved their diets, the club says.

The youth club is appealing for more allotment holders to get involved.

The club serves free meals to about 120 children a week, for which it needs to raise £12,000 each year.

Megan Harcourt, a coordinator with RHJYC, said planting the vegetables on their own patch had improved the children's enthusiasm for a more varied diet.

"Rose Hill is a really urban area and it's quite fun and vibrant but there's not a lot of green space," she said.

"Having a supply of plants from Deddington allotments has been a bit life-changing, in the sense that the children can see the results of that seed planting."

Mike Lewis, chair of Deddington Allotment Society, grows rainbow chard which is delivered to the club and eaten on the same day.

"It's such a good cause," he said. "And it's giving them sort of nutritious food rather than some of the processed food which is out there today."

The club's director, Aimee Winkfield, said the more varied meals they could now serve were making a big difference.

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