LEARNING ON THE PLOT

Ashbourne Road District Allotment Association (ARDAA) is thrilled to announce the launch of its ‘Growing Academy’, believed to be a national first. While many other sites offer opportunities for specific groups to engage and learn about allotment growing, the Growing Academy follows a timetabled programme of subjects for students to choose from, relevant to the allotment growing seasons. Classes are taught through an informal learning delivery method in a newly built recycled polytunnel ‘classroom’ run by volunteer tutors. Anyone who attends the Growing Academy can do so free of charge, the one condition being that attendees donate volunteer hours to maintaining, promoting and improving the site.

CREATING OPPORTUNITIES

Allotment secretary Chris Dawson believes the