How our allotment supports wellbeing, sustainability and skills

National Allotment Week is about celebrating the benefits of cultivating your own produce. At Strawberry Field, we grow food to be served in our Imagine More café, meaning we're able to offer visitors food that’s grown just a few steps away! That means fewer food miles, a lower carbon footprint and a tangible step towards a more sustainable future. But the benefits of growing our own food go beyond nutrition and sustainability; they include the impact on mental health, confidence and a sense of purpose.

Many of the trainees on our Steps to Work programme face barriers to employment, including poor mental health. In our Steps Garden, we have opportunities for trainees and volunteers to get involved and grow herbs and vegetables. Gardening and growing food has numerous benefits for mental health, including stress reduction, mood enhancement and improved self-esteem. It promotes mindfulness, provides a sense of purpose and can even increase physical activity.

James, a trainee on the Steps to Work programme said, "There’s something so rewarding about having an allotment. I’ve built a little garden from scratch, and watching the plants and flowers grow from tiny seeds into full bloom over the years fills me with pride. It’s taken time, effort, and dedication but seeing it all come together makes it so worth it."

We couldn’t offer gardening opportunities to our trainees without our dedicated volunteer gardener, who gives his time, knowledge and care to help the allotment thrive. Working alongside trainees, they share skills, encouragement, and a sense of community, proving that growth is always better when it’s shared.

Our volunteer gardener Brian said, "When I worked full-time as a teacher, that was what gave me purpose. But now that I've retired, this is what gives me purpose. I love coming here and meeting people, so if I weren't volunteering in the garden, I would be volunteering doing something else. I've always said I enjoy anything that uses brute force and ignorance, so I love the physicality of working in the garden. As I say, it gives me purpose. It's something to get up for in the morning and it keeps me young."

This National Allotment Week, we celebrate the food we grow, the wellbeing it nurtures, the sustainability it supports, and the people – both trainees and volunteers – who make it possible. With each plant tended and each crop harvested, we’re reminded that growth – in the garden and in life – is always possible.