The Garden Volunteers at Stirley are an impressive bunch together clocking up 54 years of volunteering.

Over the past 10 years, Stirley’s garden volunteers have helped to completely transform the allotment garden into a place where families and schools can learn about the wonders of produce. In spring, the volunteers were busy planting peas and potatoes ready for the school mgroups who visit in the summer term.

Children experience a ‘dig, cook and eat’ session where the whole class can come to pick produce to learn about how they grow before cooking and eating them!

Jane started volunteering 10 years ago shortly after retiring as a primary school teacher where she ran the school environmental club.

As Jane explains “It’s all about teaching children about where the fruit and veg they eat comes from, and how it grows.

We want to show everybody that you don’t have to use chemicals such as slug pellets to have a successful veg garden. We make compost, mulch with Stirley cow manure, and try to dig as little as possible so we improve fertility and don’t destroy the soil structure.

I love growing things and there is a great satisfaction – even in the middle of winter when we are muck spreading! As a group we are always thinking about how we can make it as wildlife friendly as possible, and when planning and preparing if you always start with thinking about the insects, soil structure and pollinators – you can’t go wrong!"

Thank you to all our amazing volunteers!