Welcome

Welcome to the 'Digging for Health' blog, a record of the development of a social enterprise project supported by Engage UnLtd and Age Concern, Dorchester, UK. We have been allocated a community allotment (thanks to the Volunteer Centre, Dorset), which is very overgrown and run down. This blog will provide a history of the development of the allotment, as we return it to a fully functioning and productive resource that aims to not only produce vegetables but also raise social capital (what's social capital?...read the blog!). This blog belongs to Fran Biley. This views expressed here are his, and he takes full responsibility for them. They may not represent the views of the organisations that are mentioned here.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Today, the sun shone and the work got done!

If yesterday's heavy rain had continued into today then it would have held us up. However, it was an almost spring like day, ideal for cracking on with the work. John, Adam and Bob were on site from early on, and worked valiantly with Mr. Womble, the Dorset Volunteer Coordinator and two helpers engaged in community service activity. At least half of the site was dug, and Bob put all the boundary boards in place, effectively outlining our plot. As the following picture shows, John (AC Volunteer Coordinator for the project, and Faaf expert/activist) exhibited what might become a new fashion in trousers, but looking at the state of his knees, he might have spent a little to much time supplicating in front of our very own Horticultural Consultant (Bob 'Round-Up' Christian).



Spot on 12 midday the first shift departed (well except for Bob who stayed on to spread some muck on the raspberries) and the second shift (Fran and Matthew Jack) arrived. We set on preparing the base for the shed, now due to arrive a day later than previously reported, that is on 8th March.

Matthew Jack was surgically separated from his XBox and on arrival almost enthusiastically started levelling the ground for the shed base. Here he is in the picture below. He continued the trouser fashion show, as initiated by Jon, by sporting low slung builder's bum/emo type skinnys and colour co-ordinated wellies and a hoody and for some reason, a kind of ethnic yak wool hat. Apparently it is important to look cool at all times, even on an allotment.


Anyway, much of the site was dug, yet more couch grass was removed, the rhubarb was transplanted to a more convenient part of the plot along with a good row of raspberry canes, all rescued from the site and finally, a level base was made (using existing concrete blocks that were found on the plot), ready to take the shed. Here is a picture of the site as it looked at 3pm today. Have a look at the pictures taken at the beginning of the project and posted here in earlier blog posts, to see how far we have progressed. Note in the following pic - the shed base, the dug ground and the perimeter boards...its starting to look good!

3 comments:

  1. Fran
    Thank-you for letting me know re the allotment (as well as introducing me to how to use blogs -I am SO behind the times !)
    It looks wonderful - connecting to the rythmns of nature as well as getting muddy/drinking tea- 'being' as well as 'doing' -talk about 'flow'! Caroline

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  2. Amazing progress - its all coming together. While you've all been working I've had a lovely half term week off with my feet up. Promise to work twice as hard at the next dig day! Anna x

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  3. well done dad with your progress of making a website
    from james :-)

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