Weymouth Town Council Celebrates National Allotments Week

The theme for this year’s National Allotments Week (Monday 11th – Sunday 11th August) is ‘Allotments and Wellbeing’. The week is all about celebrating these greenspaces and the benefits they have for health, wellbeing and the planet. Weymouth Town Council are delighted to share some experiences from plot holders across it’s different sites to show what having an allotment means to them and how having a plot improves their wellbeing.

Julie and Leah took on their allotment in June this year. With no previous gardening experience and with a plot that was completely overgrown and unloved, they had a big challenge ahead. But after weeks of digging, clearing, and learning as they went, they are now enjoying the fruits (and vegetables!) of their labour — including their very first homegrown tomatoes, carrots and cucumbers. Their friend Catraiona joined in to lend a hand and quickly caught the gardening bug herself. “I enjoyed helping Julie and Leah bring their plot back to life so much that I went straight home and applied for my own allotment,” she said. 

All three women work at Dorset County Hospital and share an appreciation for the therapeutic value of greenspaces. 
“As a nurse, I spend a lot of time indoors in a busy and often stressful environment,” Cat explained. “Coming to the allotment and watching it transform from a jungle into a thriving plot has been incredibly rewarding.” 

Leah, who works in the hospital laboratory, has been honing her skills with help from TikTok. “There are some brilliant free resources online. I’ve really enjoyed planning what to grow and learning about the ‘no dig’ method,” she said. “I love to cook, so using our own veggies in tasty, healthy meals has been really satisfying.” 

Julie, also a nurse, has taken a hands-on approach — building raised beds from reclaimed pallets and installing a new shed. “There’s been a lot of digging, sawing and drilling,” she said. “I enjoy the physical side of the allotment — it helps me unwind after a busy shift. At first, I ached all over, but now I feel fitter and more flexible than I have in years.” 

Together, Julie, Leah, and Catraiona are proving that with a bit of determination, creativity, and teamwork, even the most overgrown patch can become a green haven — and a real boost for body and mind. 

Penny has a plot on the Rodwell allotment site, and says: “I just love being out there at all times of the year. I am sometimes upset and concerned about the future, and the impact climate change is having, so it is lovely to find joy and peace in growing and caring for a small patch of land and the beings like slow worms, earthworms, birds, beetles, butterflies, trees and a multitude of insects who share the space with me.” 

Speaking about harvesting fresh produce, Penny says: “I feel lucky to have a plot and to have inherited a mature fig tree with it. The weather this year has resulted in an abundant harvest – it has been satisfying to give people fresh produce that I have grown and to have sufficient for the birds to take a share too. It always tastes so much better when it is just picked.”   

A brief conversation with a co-worker led Toya to their allotment. After leaving their job of 15 years, the allotment became a sanctuary and a place to clear the mind and find serenity. Toya says: “The excitement of planning my new plot quickly replaced any negative feelings. Collecting pallets, browsing seed catalogues, and watching YouTube tutorials became my new routine. It’s been a huge boost for both my mental and physical health. Where I once spent hours indoors, I now walk to my plot, dig in mulch, and haul compost; functional fitness at its best! My gym workouts now go hand in hand with the real-world strength I build on the plot.” 

And for Toya, nothing compares to the thrill of digging up your first potato: “I felt like I’d struck gold!”

It’s not just potatoes that show the fruits of Toya’s labour: “Eating peas fresh from the pod, tasting home grown vegetables, and sharing produce with my wonderful allotment neighbours has been a joy.”

This year’s theme is perfectly demonstrated by Toya, who says: “My plot is my happy place. A space that’s brought me purpose, peace, and plenty of delicious veg.”

Above are images from Toya’s plot.

For Stephen, an allotment is a place to go when the world is too much, with the plot holder stating: “I’m not hiding just taking a break where the priorities change from paying the bills to defending my little realm against the bugs. Building and learning new ways to grow and propagate. Trial and error rules head space guaranteed. This little patch of Britain I can shape and mould with luck get some wonderful vegetables to give to friends and family.”

Above are images from Stephen’s plot.

To conclude celebrating the link between allotments and wellbeing, Joy has written a poem about her plot:

Healing Space 

Restoring Space

Safe Space 

Social Space 

Nature Space 

Busy Space 

Learning Space 

Active Space 

Mindful Space 

‘Try it’ Space 

Carbon capture Space 

Save the planet Space 

Unique to me, productive Space 

Sow. Tend. Reap. Eat…. 

The seasons pass. The year turns. 

I carry on. 

My plot, 

My essential Space. 

ENDS   

Notes to Editors 

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