Last month our Grassroots Garden volunteers installed our brand new polytunnel, kindly funded by a grant from The Hobson Charity.
Plans for the polytunnel started back in the summer, and provided many opportunities for volunteers to learn and develop new skills and knowledge. Volunteers completed all the research into the type and supplier of the polytunnel they wanted themselves, investigating the benefits of different types of cover, frame and accessories available, while having to think about budgetary and space constraints.
The team had to think seriously about the positioning of the polytunnel and a lot of work went into ground preparation. This was a huge team effort, as the polytunnel has been placed in an area that had not previously been cultivated to a large extent in the garden. A team of eight volunteers spent 2 days levelling the ground and painstakingly measuring and remeasuring the space to make sure the build would go smoothly:
Once this was completed, work started on building the polytunnel. We have built the structure very gradually, over a period of 6 weeks, to ensure the whole gardening team has had the opportunity to be involved in the build – although one volunteer with previous experience has led the project. Volunteers have really enjoyed building, using tools, problem-solving, working together etc. and are very proud of the finished product.
Highlights of the project for the Grassroots Garden Volunteers
“Getting the preparation right was very difficult. We needed to measure so the corners were in the right place. We had to be very careful. It was like engineering. It was very interesting.” Khalid.
“It’s very different to the work I normally do. It’s very satisfying working on the polytunnel from start to finish.” Jon
“Now we can grow tomatoes and chillis and lots of plants that are affected by frost. We can grow small plants and flowers that like heat, not rain.” Sabelo
“I like working together. We learn new skills. I have never built anything like this before.” Hussein
Future impact
The polytunnel will have a huge impact on Grassroot Garden’s future success. We can of course, use this sheltered space for seed sowing, potting on, taking cuttings etc, but it will also mean we will be able to plan more group activities – both gardening and non-gardening during the winter, enabling more volunteer interaction during the colder months.
The polytunnel will dramatically extend our growing season, so we will be able to sow seeds earlier and grow more tender vegetables, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, chillis and salad crops for our café, Café Narjis. Some of our volunteers have expressed a wish to grow crops from their birth countries, such as okra, which we can do, and furthermore, the clients can take the lead on growing and piloting new crops – increasing choice and autonomy within the group.
A huge thank you to The Hobson Charity for their fantastic support.
