A COMMUNITY allotment which promotes mental and physical wellbeing has been given a huge boost.

The Sofa Club and Test Valley Borough Council visited the allotment at the Army headquarters, in Andover, on Monday, July 22, to present donations of £500 and £1,000, respectively.

The grants will support the work of DE Gardeners, a movement established by army wife Marina Colville to promote community through gardening.

The vision is to encourage individual gardening and community gatherings to promote mental and physical wellbeing and community bonding, through growing vegetables and fruit in manageable communal beds.

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DE Gardeners has been awarded £1,500 from The Sofa Club and Test Valley Borough Council (Image: Chris Lynn) The money will be used to build a shelter so that children and families can meet up, and form a friendly community by helping to plant and cultivate the allotment.

Gardeners are encouraged to follow the no-dig philosophy which promotes high yielding but low maintenance small beds (and dramatically reduces weeding).

Marina and her committee are hoping this allotment scheme in Andover will be a flagship example of a community-led model that can be rolled out in military communities elsewhere. 

The cheques were presented by Cllr Jim Neal for Test Valley Borough Council and Tracey Kirk, Chris Lynn and Suzy Cogan for The Sofa Club.

For more information, go to degardeners.com.