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During National Allotments Week, Kent Community Foundation is highlighting their Amity Allotment Fund

The Amity Allotment Fund, forms part of Kent Community Foundation’s environmental strategy and distributes grants of up to £7,500 to encourage the expansion of existing allotments or the creation of new sites throughout Kent.

Opened in March 2022, the Amity Allotment Fund awarded one of its first grants to Culmer’s Allotment Society Limited. Established in 2013 Culmer’s has a four-acre allotment, with 120 plots, near the centre of Broadstairs in Thanet. The Society applied for financial support to purchase a high-quality shredding machine for shrubs, plant stalks, large plants, and wood to avoid burning or sending the waste to landfill. They received a grant of £1,500.

Caroline Marais, Culmer’s Allotment Society Limited, said, “We applied for funding from Kent Community Foundation to purchase a shredder to use for shrubs, plant stalks, sweetcorn, brussel sprouts, large plants, and wood to avoid lighting bonfires or sending material to landfill. Our site has a very large boundary with bushes and small trees which require annual pollarding, generating a large amount of material what would previously have been burnt or taken to landfill. If just a quarter of us switched from dumping organic waste in landfill sites to composting it, we'd save the equivalent of 2.5m tonnes of CO2 from reaching the atmosphere each year. The new shredder will become a huge asset and will be widely used by the allotment holders.”

Natalie Smith, Director of Grants and Impact, Kent Community Foundation, said, “We know how important allotments are to bring communities together, preserve the environment and provide a fantastic area for wildlife. We were keen to support the Culmer’s application as their new shredder will reduce the amount of burning and reuse material as compost rather than sending it to landfill. The Amity Allotment Fund has also awarded grants to allotments in Sheppey for new boundary fencing, and in Ashford to cover the cost of the removal of asbestos rooves from two hundred sheds. If you know of an existing allotment in your area that needs funding, or you are interested in creating an allotment for your community we would love to hear from you.”

Apply to the Amity Allotment Fund here

MASSIVE 'thank you ' to everyone at Kent Community Foundation. Your funding support is HUGELY appreciated and has enabled us to get into the heart of local communities with REAL, affordable, healthy and tasty food that does so much more than feed people.

Community chef Mike Spackman, Sheppey Matters

KCF's enthusiasm for what we are doing and hoping to do, coupled with helpful advice, gave us the confidence to take this daunting step which has paid off.

Liz Turner, Octopus Foundation

It's great having a foundation that empowers organisations and charities in our community to make real positive differences and changes!

Tom, MMK Mind