Group overwhelmed by generous donations

October 13, 2017

The community of Ferryhill and Chilton have rallied round to help the Green Horizons Community Allotment Group, whose tools were stolen by thieves.

A community group based in Ferryhill is extending its thanks to the local community after being flooded with donations.

In last week’s Chapter, we reported that the Green Horizons Community Allotment Group had its tools stolen by thieves.

Volunteer, Carolyn Stephenson said: “We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of people in Ferryhill and Chilton who have offered their help with tools and donations. “We were celebrating winning the ‘Most Improved Allotment’ award from Ferryhill in Bloom for our project in Storehouse allotments only to find thieves had broken in and stolen all our garden tools. “Since the publicity in the Chapter though, we have received several wonderful donations of tools from local people in Ferryhill and Chilton which will be more than suficient to replace our losses.”

The group has also had a donation from a local business and contact from people interested in joining them.

Members, pictured last week during a litter pick in Ferryhill Park as part of the ‘Spruce Up Ferryhill’ campaign, are thrilled at people’s interest in the project.

The project is open to all adults and currently meets every Friday afternoon throughout the year, with some additional sessions during the week.

They are currently erecting a donated shed and improving the security on the site.

The project, which is supported by two volunteers from Home Group, is part of Positive Horizons, an activity group which, for 12 years, has been held every Saturday in the Dean Bank Institute, and is also open to all adults.

Over the past two years the project members, several of whom have disabilities, have cleared a derelict allotment site, built a shelter, fenced the site and grown a wide variety of fruit and vegetables.

Next year they are hoping to expand with a greenhouse, a memorial garden and more flower planting.

For more information about the project, or to enquire about joining, contact volunteers, Carolyn Stephenson or Ian Phillips on 07732 780386 or by email at saturdaypositivehorizons@gmail.com.