{"id":2,"date":"2025-06-25T19:56:20","date_gmt":"2025-06-25T18:56:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/?page_id=2"},"modified":"2025-07-23T19:29:07","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T18:29:07","slug":"home-page","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/?page_id=2","title":{"rendered":"Community Plot"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_0705-1024x768-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_0705-1024x768-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3901\" srcset=\"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_0705-1024x768-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_0705-1024x768-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/IMG_0705-1024x768-1-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>WSA\u2019s Award-Winning Community Plot<\/strong><br><em>(BAF Ted Green Award for Community Initiative)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Community Plot was set up by the Allotment Committee in 2016, with the aim of making the allotments inclusive for people who need support to grow fruit and veg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our focus is on wellbeing and improving mental and physical health. We encourage group members to relax and enjoy the experience, learning about nature and the environment as much as about food growing. One member commented that she feels:&nbsp;<strong>\u201crefreshed, calm and happy\u201d<\/strong>&nbsp;on the Community Plot, because she can&nbsp;<strong>\u201cforget about the stress while I am here.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Community Plot is facilitated by volunteer plot holders, and all tools, materials, and refreshments are provided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facilities include:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A large polytunnel<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A pond<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2018The Onion\u2019 compost toilet<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A mix of planting spaces, including raised beds, which we are in the process of renewing with a grant from the National Garden Scheme.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Activities<\/strong><br>There are currently two regular weekly sessions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Gardening on Tuesdays<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Drawing on Fridays<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>We also host occasional special sessions. So far in 2025, we\u2019ve had:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Herbs for Wellbeing<\/strong>&nbsp;with renowned herbalist&nbsp;<strong>Rasheeqa Ahmad<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A gentle&nbsp;<strong>Grief Tending<\/strong>&nbsp;session with artist&nbsp;<strong>Yaya<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Some highlights:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>2016<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013 We started with a group of allotment volunteers, Barnet Time Bank, and Barnet Mencap.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>2018<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013 We were featured as one of&nbsp;<strong>London\u2019s Top Ten Community Gardens<\/strong>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<em>Jellied Eel<\/em>&nbsp;magazine.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>2019<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013 We consulted on the&nbsp;<strong>Growing Connections Project<\/strong>&nbsp;with the Centre for Aging Better and mentored the&nbsp;<strong>Older Women&#8217;s Co-housing Project<\/strong>&nbsp;in High Barnet.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>2023<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013 We took part in the&nbsp;<strong>London Festival of Architecture<\/strong>&nbsp;with a guided walk highlighting the fascinating hidden history of Whetstone allotments and the surrounding area. We also hosted a training with environmental artist&nbsp;<strong>Becky Lyon<\/strong>, who made a sculpture for the Community Plot.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>2024<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2013 We were commissioned by&nbsp;<strong>Barnet Council<\/strong>&nbsp;to set up and run a new&nbsp;<strong>Community Garden at the Freehold Centre<\/strong>&nbsp;in Muswell Hill, and to train new Community Garden Leaders.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Volunteering Opportunities<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Come and experience the Community Plot on&nbsp;<strong>Tuesday afternoons<\/strong>. You\u2019ll benefit from being outdoors, learning gardening, and taking home produce in season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To find out more, register with&nbsp;<strong>Volunteering Barnet<\/strong>&nbsp;at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/volunteeringbarnet.co.uk\/\">volunteeringbarnet.co.uk<\/a>&nbsp;or drop into the&nbsp;<strong>Volunteer Drop-in<\/strong>&nbsp;on&nbsp;<strong>Wednesdays 2\u20134pm<\/strong>&nbsp;at the Arts Depot in North Finchley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also contact\u00a0<strong>Les Moore<\/strong>\u00a0directly for an informal chat:  <strong>07957 388033<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read about\u00a0<strong>Michiko\u2019s experience<\/strong>\u00a0volunteering at the Community Plot\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/volunteeringbarnet.org.uk\/michikos-experience-at-the-community-plot-whetstone-stray-allotments\"><strong>here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WSA\u2019s Award-Winning Community Plot(BAF Ted Green Award for Community Initiative) The Community Plot was set up by the Allotment Committee in 2016, with the aim of making the allotments inclusive for people who need support to grow fruit and veg. &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/?page_id=2\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4125,"href":"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2\/revisions\/4125"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/whetstoneallotments.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}