Watford community allotment could be top of the crops

A Salvation Army-run community allotment project in Watford has been shortlisted for a prestigious award.

Captain Mark Scoulding leads the church and charity in the town and on Tuesday mornings from February to October, he can be found at Cherry Tree Allotments, working on the community project. 

At the end of this month, the community allotment is in the running to win the Congregation and Community category at the 2024 Green Church Awards.

The plot features raised beds and growing troughs, a log circle, a mini orchard, a summer house, and a wildflower meadow with a wildlife pond.

The allotments are next to Cherry Tree Primary School and the space is visited weekly by up to 120 pupils, parents and staff.

Mark said he hopes the allotment will inspire a life-long love of nature in the children who visit it 

He said: “All the pupils live in an urban environment with limited access to outdoor space.  We teach the children to garden fruits, vegetables and flowers. Week to week, we might be sowing tiny lettuce seeds into soil plugs, or sledgehammering fenceposts into the ground with all our strength. 

“All the children benefit, but those who struggle with classroom learning become different people. One boy who needs extra support can express different skills and regulate his emotions. He is regularly found picking mint leaves because the scent reminds him of his grandmother’s tea and calms him down.”

As well as working with the pupils from Cherry Tree Primary School, the community allotment is also used for church celebrations, corporate volunteering and fundraising events.

Mark said: “We invite the neighbourhood to harvest and eat the foods we have grown. Last year we cooked pumpkin soup and apple pies – some of our neighbours had never seen pumpkins growing and tasted them for the very first time. We also held our 140th birthday party on the allotment. More than 200 people joined the celebrations!”

The allotment is also intentionally managed for wildlife and environmental methods are also used to manage, reuse and recycle waste. An old bathtub has been transformed into a wildlife pond. 

Mark said: “It’s amazing to learn how many animals visit our little pond. We capture them all on our wildlife camera – the children love to see foxes!”

Cheska Tyler, Headteacher at Cherry Tree Primary School, said: “The community allotment has been absolutely transformational for our children. They look forward to it each week and use their learnt skills around the school grounds whilst waiting for their next session. The children come back with fresh produce to share with others and excitedly talk about the new fruits and vegetables they have tasted. It is now an intrinsic part of our Cherry Tree curriculum and truly helps our children to understand the importance of looking after our world.”