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A Community Allotment for the people of Gilfach Fargoed
A Community Allotment for the people of Gilfach Fargoed
26/11/2009 12:00:00
The latest news from TARAGGAN
Thanks to the Gilfach Fargoed Tenants and Residents Association and Cleaner Greener Communities, villagers have finally got a community allotment.
The Gilfach Fargoed Tenants and Resident Association wanted to put back into use a derelict piece of land at the heart of their community, which used to be the local nursery school. After many discussions the TARAGGAN project was born – a community allotment and educational garden developed by the local community of all different ages, working together for enjoyment and exercise. The idea was there but where was the funding for this inspirational project? After 18 months of ideas, planning and funding applications, Cleaner Greener Communities came on board and agreed to take on the TARRAGAN project as one of their green space projects.
The green spaces element of the Cleaner Greener Communities project helps community groups to transform derelict or neglected sites into a community asset. The CGC team provided project management, help and advice on designing the allotment site, hard labour and, of course, the money to make this happen.
The land was cleared, fencing installed, pathways created to delineate the allotment beds, compost bins built, raised beds built and a shed installed. The main attraction has been the building of a huge plastic bottle greenhouse, the largest of its kind in the UK.
John Pritchard, Treasurer of TARAGGAN said “We sincerely believe that the success of this project is due to the unstinting dedication to working on the project shown by Keith (Project Officer Groundwork) and John (Volunteer Groundwork). We are certainly going to miss them. Thank you so much for helping and leading us to achieve our aspirations.”
Keith Fairhall, Project Officer, Groundwork commented “Helping the people of Gilfach Bargoed to create their dream of a new allotment site and educational garden that is open to all community groups in the immediate area has been a truly wonderful experience for me. TARAGGAN’S determination to produce it all from the wreckage of an old disused building has been truly inspiring.”
He added, “The dedication of the local schools, library, charity shops, scout groups and, of course, the individuals who collected thousands of empty pop bottles to build the UK’s biggest recycled bottle greenhouse was truly humbling. Dozens of children and their parents gave up their precious summer holidays to help assemble it and it is now common to see people come from miles around just to see the completed structure! I really believe what is being achieved here will inspire groups all over the country to make their own dreams come true.”
What happens next? Now that the site has been transformed and community groups are starting to take on the plots, Cleaner Greener Communities will be working with the groups to provide health and safety training and other training needs.
However, the determination, motivation and ambition of the volunteers doesn’t stop here. Cwm a Mynydd, a community development fund from Caerphilly Borough Council, has recently awarded TARAGGAN a grant of £29,550 to build an education centre and landscape the unused area on the allotment site and phase two of the project is about to start.
Once the second phase of the project has been completed, the site will have an official opening in Spring 2010 to celebrate the fantastic achievements of TARAGGAN.
If your community group is interested in taking on a plot or you are simply interested in volunteering for the project, please contact Mark Ellis on 01443 878958 or mark.ellis@gavowales.org.uk There are still a few available plots on the allotment and new volunteers would be very welcome so get in touch soon.
Cleaner Greener Communities is a partnership project between Keep Wales Tidy, BTCV Cymru and Groundwork Merthyr & RCT which empowers local communities to take responsibility for their own environment. This has been made possible through funding from the Welsh Assembly Government’s Heads of the Valleys programme.
If your community group is interested in working with Cleaner Greener Communities then contact Joanna Friedli, Keep Wales Tidy on029 20381733 or joanna.friedli@keepwalestidy.org.
