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Issue - meetings

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION - HITCHIN ALLOTMENT ASSOCIATION

Meeting: 05/03/2019 - Hitchin Committee (Item 72)

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION - HITCHIN ALLOTMENT ASSOCIATION

Decision:

Mr Paul Dee thanked the Chairman for the opportunity to address the Committee and gave a verbal presentation regarding the grant funding application for Hitchin Allotment Association.

Minutes:

Audio Recording – Start of Item – 1 hour, 22 minutes 55 seconds

 

Mr Paul Dee, Secretary of Hitchin Allotments Association and Project Leader for Hitchin Youth Allotment thanked the Chairman for the opportunity to address the Committee and gave a verbal presentation regarding the grant funding application for Hitchin Allotment Association as follows:

 

·         Hitchin Youth Allotment supported young people to learn how to grow and cook fruit and vegetables, this was done on an allotment in Hitchin in a very hands on way;

  • encouraged healthy eating and a healthy attitude to food;
  • contributed to tackling issues such as eating disorders, diabetes and childhood obesity;
  • connected young people with outdoors, the environment and with wider society by linking up with other local good causes;
  • built the children’s confidence providing a positive knock on effect to their school and academic life;
  • focussed on supporting children with special educational needs, with both severe and moderate learning difficulties, but also connected with all children who were interested; and
  • ran entirely on a voluntary basis.


When Home-Start were setting up in March 2017, NHDC had donated £500 funding as a contribution to their set up costs.  Originally aimed for 40 children to be involved through occasional visits, but the project had proved much more successful and the numbers had increased greatly, over 280 children had been involved that year:

 

  • Over 350 children had been involved over the past couple of years.
  • Linked up to the Priory School.  Four groups of children with SEN support attend fortnightly as part of their curriculum.
  • Last year they piloted a very successful after school club with a food tech teacher – part growing and part cooking. This started fortnightly, but due to popularity, it was now a weekly event.
  • In addition, 8 of Hitchin’s uniformed youth groups also attended on a regular basis.
  • They donated surplus produce to a Red Cross Food Bank.  
  • Achieved the Royal Horticultural Society’s highest level of accreditation for school gardening groups.
  • Last year were nominated in the RHS awards and were one of four national finalists, from 350 nominations.

 

Success had led to much needed expansion, for which the grant funding request was required:

 

·         £250 for Child friendly compost bins, so they could better understand the composting process.

·         £350 to create a study and work area with folding, removable tables.

  • £80 to complete the renovation and build a fruit area.

·         £250 to fully establish cooking activities.

 

A total of £930 for project/development costs that would pay back over many years and for several hundred children.

 

The Vice-Chair thanked Mr Dee for his very informative presentation.