Fresh fruit and vegetables are helping local families access healthier food thanks to a community allotment run by Compassion Acts in Southport.
This latest Story of Kindness shines a spotlight on the volunteers who grow produce at the allotment and the impact it has on people accessing food support through local pantries, including the pantry at Liverpool Road Methodist Church.
The allotment has been running since 2021 and was established to help address a gap often seen in food provision. The fresh food is used to supplement the shopping baskets of people and families using Compassion Acts pantries in Southport.
Caroline, Social Wellbeing Officer at Compassion Acts, explains: “The allotment has been going since summer 2021 and it provides fresh fruit and produce to our food pantries. We get lots of different produce, and the amount we receive is brilliant.”
From potatoes and lettuces to marrows, rhubarb, beans and fruit, the allotment produces a wide range of seasonal food that is distributed to local people.
The allotment is run by volunteers, led by local couple Janet and Peter, who spend their time planting, weeding, growing and harvesting produce throughout the year. They grow a wide variety of produce including potatoes, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, squash, courgettes, runner beans, turnips, strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, and fruit from apple, pear and plum trees.
Janet said: “The idea behind this was that people, if they went to a food pantry, mainly got tins and cans and no fresh fruit and veg. I think, especially if you’ve got children, that fruit and veg are vitally important. It gives variety in your diet as well.”
She added: “We’ve always been volunteers in one way or another all our lives, but now we’re doing this in our retirement. We feel like we’re giving back to the community and helping people who need our help because they haven’t got the money to buy fresh fruit and veg.”
Peter explained how the project came about as a way to help others, during the Covid-19 pandemic: “We had our own allotment further down. I know that they struggle for buying food and what have you, and I just thought, well, that’s one way I can help.”
For volunteers, knowing that the produce is making a difference to local families is a powerful motivator.
Volunteer Jennifer said: “One of the main reasons why I’m here is because it’s fulfilling knowing that the fruit and vegetables here end up at the pantry.”
She also described how she has learned through the project: “I wasn’t quite sure what was a weed and what isn’t, and now I’m definitely 100% there and I’m enjoying pulling every single weed I can get my hands on!”
Caroline highlighted the importance of providing fresh food at a time when many households are struggling with rising costs: “It’s important to eat our five fruit and veg a day, isn’t it, and I think it’s harder and harder for people to do that these days because of the cost of it. So to be able to say that they can come to the food pantry and get that fresh produce is just so important to us.”
The project is about more than food. It is also about community, connection and kindness.
Reflecting on the impact of the volunteers, Caroline said: “This project is full of kindness. The amount of time and effort it takes, from planting to picking and preparing for the next season, shows just how generous our volunteers are. They get a lot out of it, and so does the community.”
Church volunteer Sally, who helps at the pantry, said: “For us, it really helps us to feel that we are helping the families in a big way.” She added: “Kindness to me means sharing, understanding and doing what we can for each other.”
Watch the full Story of Kindness video to hear directly from the volunteers and discover how a community allotment is helping local people flourish through simple acts of generosity and care.
