Words by Smiley Team
For residents of Birmingham who would like to grow their own food, but perhaps don’t have the time or the skills, there is a very handy solution. It’s called Allotment in a Box, a scheme run by a co-operative of gardeners and artists named Glue Collective.
“It’s about trying to encourage people to grow things at home,” says Simbi, one of Glue Collective’s members. “For those who like the idea of having fresh, organic vegetables on their doorstep, we can help with that.”
So how does it work? If there’s a front or back garden to use, Simbi and co will come along and install a raised bed and a one metre-squared box. The customer then chooses a selection of seasonal fruit and vegetables, which the gardeners plant in the box. What follows next is – hopefully – many happy years of growing, reaping and eating. For those needing further help, on-going support and maintenance is provided as part of a service contract.
“We want to green-up the city a bit, but also change attitudes,” Simbi explains. “People have become far too disconnected from nature.”
Creating connections and spaces that bridge our natural and urban environments is what drives Glue Collective. For the past few years, its five members have been involved in various projects in and around Birmingham, including setting up a community garden, running workshops for children and adults, and developing a piece of ancient woodland. The buzz phrase that sums up much of their work and philosophy is ‘green care’.
“There are many health benefits to being in green spaces,” Simbi says. “It’s very therapeutic to potter around in the outdoors, and that idea is becoming a lot more mainstream.”
From building ‘mud kitchen’ play areas for children, to organising workshops for trafficked women, Glue Collective’s work demonstrates the effective use of green care across a broad social spectrum. The co-operative hopes to expand its operations in order to bid for social housing gardening contracts.
“With multi-occupancy buildings, the gardens are often just a bit of barren lawn,” says Simbi. “There’s a conversation to be had there. It’s the residents’ space, so what would they like to do with it? When there’s more of a purpose involved, outdoor areas bring people together, which reduces isolation and creates more community cohesion. Green care goes a long way.”
For more information or to order an Allotment in a Box, go to www.gluecollective.co.uk, or email [email protected]
By Theo Hooper
