Plymouth Youth Offending Team has managed the allotment for a number of years. We use it as a resource to enable our young people to give community pay back as part of their reparation.
We grow a range of fruit and vegetables which are then gifted to the community. In 2017-2018 we gifted these foods to Plymouth Foodbank whom then distributed them to people in need in the city.
Working the plot year- round means our Young People experience the seasons, witness the behaviour of birds, insects and other animals and gain an understanding of the eco-system.
Many Young People see for the first time where their food comes from and discover that growing vegetables requires new knowledge and skills.
There is a growing awareness that gardening can play an important role in both preventing and alleviating mental ill-health which many young people we work with experience.
When appropriate we have undertaken direct reparation using the allotment to grow flowers/herbs which have then been replanted in a planter made by the Young Person in our workshop and then gifted to the victim.
Many victims when informed the young person has been working on the allotment have commented that they feel that the outdoor work would be good for them.
For more information on allotments and the food bank in Plymouth:-
Submit Allotments Enquiry or call 01752 668000
Email info@plymouth.foodbank.org.uk or call 01752 254981