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Toyota Helps Get Leicestershire Growing

  • Last updated: 22 November 2022
For Toyota, used pallet collars may be a waste item, which are stacked at the depot in Leicester, waiting to be sent for recycling. For gardeners, however, they are gold, providing instant stackable raised beds that are particularly good for creating growing spaces for people with physical disabilities.
Hand weeding flower trough

In April, Toyota donated 500 pallet collars to the Leicestershire Master Gardeners, a volunteer programme run by the national charity Garden Organic and funded by Leicestershire Public Health, whose volunteers inspire and mentor new food growers, particularly from vulnerable groups.

With help from Voluntary Action Leicestershire, the Master Gardeners distributed the 500 pallets to over 20 community growing projects around the county, from Sure Start children’s centres, school growing projects and the 1st Huncote & Croft Scout troop, to council estate residents’ gardens, respite day centres and an asylum seekers garden project. Many of the collars are already filled and we look forward to receiving pictures of the crops they produce and the gardeners who benefit from them as the growing season progresses.

Garden Organic would like to send a very big thank you on behalf of all the community gardeners and their mentors to the staff at Toyota who helped to make this possible.

The following projects will all benefit from this act of kindness:

**Blaby District **

  • Community Harvest Whetstone; sustainable vegetable growing co-operative
  • A Place to Grow, community garden, Enderby

Charnwood District

  • Glebe House, Loughborough: services for people with learning disabilities and autism
  • John Storer House, Loughborough, community centre allotment
  • PlanZheroes, Charnwood: getting surplus food to people who need it
  • Chapman Gardening Group, Loughborough
  • Park Court Residents’ Garden, Loughborough
  • Charnwood Age UK Men in Sheds
  • Countryside Enterprises: skills centre for adults with disabilities

Hinckley & Bosworth

  • Accept Allotment Barwell: for people with mental health issues,

Melton

  • Melton Community Allotment
  • Melton Short Breaks: provides care and support to people with a learning disability, physical disabilities and additional complex needs.

North West Leicestershire

  • Castle Rock High School
  • NWL Sure Start Children’s centres
  • Enrych Allotments, Ashby: gardening for people with disabilities

Oadby & Wigston

  • Incredible Edible Oadby & Wigston: various small community growing spaces
  • J&S Dementia Day Centre, Wigston
  • Deacon & Hardy Community Day Support, Wigston
  • Kennedy House Asylum Seekers’ Garden Project, Wigston
  • The Salvation Army, Wigston
  • Step Out Youth Group, South Wigston
  • Parkland Primary School, Wigston
  • Wigston Library Community Garden

Plus: Various individuals learning to grow their own food with support from Leicestershire Master Gardeners.