Allotments Regeneration Initiative

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Press Release 
Release date: 2 April 2003 

Allotments Regeneration Initiative: 
Pilot Projects Announced 
The first grants of the Allotments Regeneration Initiative (ARI) will 
be announced by the Initiative's funders, the Esmée Fairbairn 
Foundation, at today's launch seminar in Birmingham. 

The Allotments Regeneration Initiative is run by a partnership 
Steering Group made up of representatives from the Esmée Fairbairn 
Foundation, the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners, 
the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens, QED Allotments 
Group, the Institute of Leisure and Amenity Management and the Office 
of the Deputy Prime Minister. 

Seven allotment projects will each receive substantial grants to 
develop pilots that demonstrate good practice in allotments 
management and develop innovative ways to increase the uptake of 
allotment plots. These are: 

Environ, Leicester - £36,797 
Headingly Station Allotments Association, Leeds - £26,420 
Harrow in Leaf, Harrow - £36,132 
Newcastle City Council - £63,495 
Sheffield City Council - £38,242 
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council - £26,750 
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council - £25,000 

Kate Lampard, a Trustee of the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, will make 
the announcement at today's seminar. She said: 
"Those of us at EFF involved with the Allotments Regeneration 
Initiative have been delighted with the number, variety and quality 
of the projects submitted for funding. We believe that some of the 
projects that have been chosen will provide examples for allotments 
regeneration elsewhere. We hope that the initiative as a whole will 
raise awareness of the threat of dereliction and sale facing many 
allotment plots, and focus attention on the many environmental as 
well as social benefits of allotment gardening." 

Bethan Stagg, the newly appointed ARI Co-ordinator, said: 
"We will be working closely with the seven pilot schemes to ensure 
the grants are well spent and that the lessons learnt are widely 
disseminated to all allotment groups and local authorities through 
further workshops and publications." 

A further round of small grant applications is now being assessed - 
an announcement about these grants is expected in May 2003. All 
funding rounds are now closed. 

Further details are available from: 
Bethan Stagg 07929 955 594 / 0121 643 0402 
Anna Nicholls 0117 923 1800 
ari at farmgarden.org.uk 
www.farmgarden.org.uk/ari 



ARI Round 1 - brief project summaries 

Environ aims to safeguard allotments in Leicester by providing 
support to allotment societies and novice gardeners, publicising 
vacant plots and encouraging wildlife-friendly allotment management. 
The grant will contribute to the salary of Environ's Allotments For 
All project officer (£36,797). 

Headingly Station Allotments Association seeks to regenerate a five-
acre semi-derelict allotment site in a densely populated part of 
Leeds. The project features organic growing methods and active 
involvement of the local community. The grant will help purchase 
fencing, polytunnels, trees and hedging (£26,420). 

Harrow in Leaf aims to increase allotment use by immigrant 
communities and relieve waiting list pressure in inner London. The 
project will provide disabled facilities, composting facilities, 
multicultural signage, increased security, new storage and shelter 
(£36,132). 

Newcastle City Council's project aims to improve the occupancy, 
usability and management of allotment sites in Newcastle. The grant 
will support plot clearance, training, biodiversity enhancement, 
publicity and support to allotment gardeners and associations 
(£63,495). 

Sheffield City Council plans to revitalise the Sharrard Road 
Allotments and Leisure Gardens by encouraging the involvement of 
existing tenants, local community groups, schools and individuals. 
Vandalism has been a problem in the past, so site security is a 
priority. The grant will pay for fencing and other infrastructure 
(£38,242). 

Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council aims to transform an underused 
area of the Kingshurst Allotments into a community garden and 
horticultural training facility for local people. The grant will 
contribute to the capital costs of the project (£26,750). 

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council is regenerating a partially-
used allotment site in Heald Green by providing a community building, 
plots for the disabled, an orchard, pond and wetland area. The grant 
will contribute to the capital costs of the work (£25,000). 


Notes to editors: 

1. Over 900 allotment associations and local authorities throughout 
the UK have registered their interest in the Allotments Regeneration 
Initiative. 
2. The funding rounds are now closed. We will not accept further 
applications. 
3. The Allotments Regeneration Initiative aims to stimulate more 
people to get growing on urban allotments, whether as individual plot-
holders or through community projects. 
It will do this by: 
- Promoting and supporting innovation in allotments management 
- Spreading information about good practice in allotments management 
- Providing technical support and advice through site visits and 
information materials 
- Organising events to network and disseminate good practice 
- Creating a positive and active image of allotments 
- Raising the profile of allotments with the Government, local 
authorities and the general public. 
4. The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation is one of the largest independent 
grantmaking foundations in the UK. It makes grants in four programme 
areas: 
Arts & Heritage, Education, Environment and Social Development. In 
2003 it expects to make grants of £26 million across the whole of the 
UK. For further information please visit www.esmeefairbairn.org.uk 
5. The Allotment Regeneration Initiative launch seminar takes place 
on 2 April 03 at the Birmingham & Midland Institute, Birmingham. The 
seminar will look at new ways forward for allotments and will be a 
chance for allotment associations, plot holders, local authority 
officers, gardening groups and other interested parties to exchange 
information and discuss ideas. 


The first grants of the Allotments Regeneration Initiative (ARI) will 
be announced by the Initiative's funders, the Esmée Fairbairn 
Foundation, at today's launch seminar in Birmingham. 

Seven allotment projects will each receive grants ranging from 
£25,000 to £63,495 to develop pilots that demonstrate good practice 
in allotments management and develop innovative ways to increase 
the uptake of allotment plots. 

Kate Lampard, a Trustee of the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, will 
make the announcement at today's seminar. 

FULL DETAILS ARE IN THE ATTACHED PRESS RELEASE 

Contact details: 
Bethan Stagg 07929 955 594 / 0121 643 0402 
Anna Nicholls 0117 923 1800 
ari at farmgarden.org.uk 
www.farmgarden.org.uk/ari 

The Allotments Regeneration Initiative is run by a partnership 
Steering Group made up of representatives from the Esmée 
Fairbairn Foundation, the National Society of Allotment and Leisure 
Gardeners, the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens, 
QED Allotments Group, the Institute of Leisure and Amenity 
Management and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.