Mayor of Sleaford opens railway station’s community allotment

Mayor of Sleaford, Coun Robert Oates accompanied by mayoress Ann Oates, officially opened the new allotment on Thursday, June 3.

The allotment’s name was chosen as part of a competition run by the Poacher Line Community Rail Partnership and was revealed as “Poacher’s Patch”.

Lucky winner, Sleaford resident Vivien Banks, won a basket of gardening goodies.

Working alongside the Poacher Line CRP, the allotment was designed by Lincolnshire blogger Kirsty Ward, of My Little Allotment, and funded by Lincolnshire County Council.

With the help of volunteers from East Midlands Railway and Network Rail, the allotment was created from a patch of neglected garden on platform one over the past year, intended to help those who living with hidden disabilities.

Members of local additional needs support charity Rainbow Stars, who have already planted up the allotment, have signed up to formally adopt it and will look after it going forward. At the opening, a raffle was held in aid of Rainbow Stars, raising £65.

The charity’s co-founder Jane Peck said: “We are so excited to be adopting this allotment for outdoor mental health purposes and cooking with produce that our users have grown to learn valuable life skills.”

Jo Andrews, community rail officer for the Poacher Line thanked everyone who has contributed to the transformation of this disused piece of land into something useful and attractive.

“The allotment has put the station back into the heart of the community and is the start of many improvements planned for the station.”

Kaye Robinson, community ambassador for East Midlands Railway said: “The way the old unused plot has been brought to life is a testament to the hard work that has happened in the build-up to the opening.”