Community Allotment 2026
Over the past year, the Community Allotment has gone from strength to strength, thanks to a combination of external funding, local partnerships, and the incredible support of volunteers and our wider community.
We would like to reassure residents that the improvements made at the allotment have been funded through specific external grants and donations secured for this project, rather than from general Parish Council funds.
One of the key developments has been the extension of the accessible pathway from the wildlife garden through to the Community Allotment, along with the installation of a pergola to provide shelter. This work was carried out by DTM Gardens & Pathways and funded through external project funding.
We have also been able to create accessible planters, a children’s area, micro plots, and community growing bays using funding received from H&R Building Society. This funding also covered materials such as timber and paint. We are grateful to H&R staff who generously gave their time to help paint the fencing.
The accessible planters, supplied by GB Sport & Leisure, were assembled with the help of our dedicated Wednesday volunteers, and we thank Elite Doors for their support with storage and delivery.
This project has been greatly supported by local businesses and organisations. We would like to extend our thanks to:
- Cole’s Garden Centre for their generous donation of tools and produce
- The Co-op for seed donations, helping new micro plot holders get started
- The seed exchange at Broughton Astley Library, managed by Local Area Coordinator John Baraclough
- Chapman Treecare for supplying wood chippings for pathways
- Forever Savvy for ongoing donations of horse manure
- Harborough District Council for providing free trees
We have also benefited from fantastic volunteer support. Platform Housing organised a volunteering day which helped transform the wildlife area, while residents from Arkwright House created a mud kitchen and contributed to the children’s area. Enderby Young Farmers also gave their time, bringing energy and enthusiasm to help with digging, planting, and painting.
We are delighted that the space is already being enjoyed by groups within the community, including local childminders, Broughton Astley Preschool PlayStation, and Broughton Astley Cubs.
While we are keen to see the space used and enjoyed, we kindly remind residents that the allotment is a private site. Prior consent must be arranged before use, as all visitors need to be registered for health and safety and insurance purposes.
It has been wonderful to see the allotment already giving back to the community. Produce grown on site has been donated to St Mary’s Church in Broughton Astley and Sutton Elms Church to support their community food boxes, with more to come as the site continues to develop.
We are also proud to share that the project has received wider recognition. We were shortlisted from a large number of nominations in the Harborough District Council Community Awards and invited to attend the awards evening. In addition, we were awarded a Level 4 “Thriving” certificate in the East Midlands in Bloom – It’s Your Neighbourhood scheme, in partnership with the RHS.
We are incredibly grateful for the ongoing support we receive, whether through donations of tools, materials, time, or expertise.
We are always looking for additional support and would particularly welcome sponsorship from local businesses or groups. Whether through funding, volunteering time, or supporting specific projects, we would love to hear from you.
If you would like to get involved—whether through volunteering, donating, or sponsoring the project—please get in touch.
Thank you for your continued support.
