Volunteers organised by Community Service Volunteers, and supervised by allotment committee members brought gardening for disabled gardeners much closer to a reality on the Hoxton Manor allotment site. See photos from the afternoon here, and photos from the morning here

A team of 25 office workers from KPMG Canary Wharf worked enthusiastically to make improvements on the allotment site. They built tall raised beds and filled them up with earth and compost so they are ready for use by gardeners who are unable or can no longer manage gardening on the traditional plot but don’t want to say give up growing their own food.

The volunteers also weeded and levelled the paths on the plot ready for covering with weed suppressing membrane.  The plot now just needs paving and a shed and compost bins to be ready for use.

Several of the volunteers used their artistic skills to decorate the interior of the community shed.  The shed is used for kids’ games and activities, open days and other events, for committee meetings, or just for gardeners to sit and chat, and now it is brighter and more fun.

One of our gardeners will be the first to benefit. She had to give up her plot because she could no longer a garden because a hip operation made bending difficult. She has missed the allotment and is looking forward to coming back.

A generous donation from KPMG combined with fundraising by the volunteers themselves paid for the materials to get the work done on the day. And two of the team provided a marvellous barbecue which gave everyone a boost after a hard morning’s work.

James Rigg, the volunteers’ team leader said:

Community Service Volunteers organised the visit by the volunteers, and helped in sourcing materials, checking the health and safety and other aspects of the project, and made it happen. CSV bring together teams of employees in a wide range of companies and organisations with community groups to get much-needed work done.

Committee members supervised and did preparatory work – Peter Aiano, Imogen Radford, Peter Moore and Eric Als, and allotment gardeners helped on the day and lent their tools and wheelbarrows, and gave the visitors some vegetables to take away. The Forest Recycling Project helped with free recycled paint and delivery of the scaffolding boards donated by local scaffolding firm, Fourways Plant Ltd (020 8884 3339). We also had a first aid box available, donated by Spartan Safety Limited. KPMG contributed as part of their commitment to supporting local communities.