GREEN-FINGERED villagers are appealing for support to keep the shoots of recovery going at their new allotments.

Walkhampton community allotments has only been dug for six months after a campaign by allotmenteer Helen France.

Her pressure to allow the land next to the football field behind the memorial hall bore fruit and has since convinced the parish council to grant them £1,800 for a stock-proof fence and enlisted the help of the Walkhampton Inn to host fundraising activities to pay for the allotment with a quiz night raising £346.

However, the gardeners need help with sourcing and building a communal shed. The allotments have applied for planning permission for the shed to Dartmoor National Park Authority. Permission is needed because planners do not allow individual allotment holders to have their own sheds.

Helen France, who grows cabbages and chard, said: ‘The community allotments have been a huge success so far. We started from nothing, just a long strip of land next to the stream and behind the memorial hall.

‘But in six months we have a long waiting list and almost all the plots are full of fruit and veg. I started the move to set it up after covid because there are a lot of people in the village and nearby who are isolated or retired and lonely. There are also people who need something to help them overcome challenges like bereavement or other long term issues.

‘It’s been a long time coming, but we managed to persuade the memorial hall committee we had a viable plan that would benefit the whole community. We put a case together with a proper plan with aims and objectives and they were convinced and we’ve been very proactive in helping ourselves.

‘Now the committee is happy to work with us — perhaps even jointly apply for funding.’

The hall committee is working on replacing the play area and the wood is recycled by the gardeners. She added: ‘I’d like to use more of the land next to the football pitches and have a village self-sufficient in fruit and veg, just like the war.’

Her husband, a digger driver dug out the ten plots with his machine and also dug out the water supply and collected dung from a farmer for enriching the soil. The site also needs chicken wire to cover the stock fencing to keep out smaller pests.

Jemima Fisher and her daughter Ella, five, both tend their plot. Ella created the name of the allotments ‘Bloomin’ Idiots’ from produce for a photo. She said: ‘This is a great place to share tips and for Ella to get out and learn where fresh food comes from. It’s also a place to meet other villagers and socialise.

‘I’ve always wanted an allotment, but I never had the space. I also find it concentrates the mind. At home there’s always something to worry about, here outdoors all you think about is growing.’

If anyone is able to support the allotments they are asked to contact [email protected]