Volunteers at Skelton Grange Environment Centre recently took part in an Autumn harvest celebration, enjoying the products of their hard work during the past year.
The Big Lottery Fund’s Local Food scheme funded food related projects that make locally grown food more accessible. Volunteers from the South Leeds area have been attending the Friday Local Food Club twice a month over the past year, where they have been learning how to grow their own vegetables and helping to maintain the Skelton Grange allotment. These skills can then be taken away to use in their own gardens or communities, and knowledge can be shared with family and friends, leading to more people having a go at growing their own local veg.
The celebration day was an opportunity to harvest many of the vegetables that had been planted and tended to throughout the year. These were then cooked with fresh garden herbs in a pot over an open fire, making a healthy and delicious stew accompanied by fresh corn on the cob.
Volunteer Education Officer, Helen Jaques said “The best part of growing your own vegetables is when you can pick them or dig them up and eat them! The stew was really tasty! It’s really good that the volunteers who have been coming up here every fortnight see and enjoy the results of all the work they’ve put in.”
Skelton Grange Environment Centre is an innovative environmental education project in South Leeds, which is a partnership between BTCV and National Grid with support from Leeds City Council. It offers a range of fun, hands-on environmental education activities for schoolchildren which aim to encourage an interest in the natural world as well as opportunities for adult volunteers to get involved in practical conservation work.
Pictured are BTCV Volunteer Officers Helen Jaques and Hannah Greenslade alongside local volunteers Mick, Andy and Steve. Photo credit: BTCV Skelton Grange Environment Centre
