Cookham Community Allotment gets grant for new benches

A community allotment will get a new set of benches thanks to a donation from the Advertiser’s owner.

In December, the Louis Baylis Trust gave the Cookham Community Allotment Project a £750 grant which will enable it to buy some new benches.

The benches will replace the many broken and damaged plastic garden chairs that the project members have been making do with over the past few years.

Formed in 2014, the project looks after five plots at the Alfred Major Recreation Ground allotment and gives people the chance to do some gardening without having to worry about looking after an entire plot or garden by themselves.

The benches will complement the big table the project purchased with a Louis Baylis Grant it received a few years ago.

Becky Pinniger, one of the founders of the project, said: “When we found out about the grant it was such good, positive news, it’s been a tough year for everyone, it’s not a profit-making thing but we do need money for seeds and some wood.

“We needed the benches because all our chairs are broken, this really was wonderful, it’s very encouraging, it buoys you up a little bit.”

Throughout last year’s lockdown, the allotment’s volunteers carried on doing some work while maintaining social distancing. There are no plans to go back to the allotment during the winter, with indoor jobs like sharpening tools taking precedent.

Once work (hopefully) resumes near the end of February, the new benches will be brought in for all to enjoy.

With many people stuck at home over the last few months, the group has seen a lot of interest from people looking to get their thumbs green.

Becky said: “There’s been a lot of interest recently. We had to say we can’t take on anyone else for the first time at the end of the year, we have five plots but we can’t have people working too closely.

“Not everyone wants to come and do lots of gardening, it’s an important social thing for people.”