Retired educator Liz Magraw (front right), one of our volunteer community reporters, gives a personal view on how she found purpose by joining the Rooted Community Food allotment
Since retiring, I have truly wanted to continue contributing to life and society around me. I came to the conclusion that it needed to be local so I could see how I made a difference, however small.
I did not find Rooted; it found me, through a Facebook post! Very, very quickly, I realised that I had found my tribe.
As anthropologist Margaret Mead said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
Having lived by this precept all my life, I rapidly realised that Rooted fitted perfectly.
For me is it about physical activity and being outdoors in nature, supporting my wellbeing, stimulating my intellect and satisfying moral concerns.
I am learning new skills while being able to make a difference, meet people and make new friends.
How did the Rooted project come about?
Rooted, in its present form, began in November 2022 and I was there at its inception.
The project is led by Sally Ross who is unwavering in sharing her passion and commitment.
Rooted’s mission is to promote food security, resilience and sustainable food systems. It was created to transform these profound challenges into something deeply positive.
Sally explained: “I realised I had a responsibility to cherish the wonderful experiences that the natural world offered. It became clear that I needed to find a different, more constructive way to respond to the crisis.
“I knew that meaningful change is never achieved alone. I also believed that a few key elements could create a truly inspiring and dynamic space for action.
“Rooted was built on this foundation, with a guiding mission shared with all potential volunteers through a project-volunteer agreement.
“A core principle of Rooted is its collaborative nature; no one person is in charge, and no individual is more important that the mission or the team supporting it.”
Who are the volunteers?
People have gravitated to Rooted for a range of reasons and with varying levels of horticultural experience.
Naturally, people have joined because they love being outdoors. One volunteer said: “I was attempting to re-establish my relationship with Mother Nature.”
Many have joined because they enjoy gardening, they appreciate fresh, organic food and they want to reduce food miles.
But people have also joined to simply appreciate being part of a community of like-minded individuals.
People stay for all those reasons, but also because it is a safe place, it is good for their wellbeing and for their mental health.
One volunteer told me: “I was at a very low ebb when a friend told me about Rooted. When all the doctors could prescribe me was more pills, I chose nature and volunteering.”
Listening to volunteers, this is a familiar scenario. From another: “I was in a very dark place. The group really helps me with my mental health and I feel I am being useful too.”
People stay because they have made friends, because they feel they belong and that they can make a difference; a difference that is visible thanks to the food we produce and donate.
How does it work?
Rooted is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CIC) which currently benefits from National Lottery funding. We have directors and a steering group to support Sally in looking at the big picture.
A group of around 30 volunteers grow fresh produce on three plots at the Gorringe Road allotment site.
There are regular sessions and usually someone guiding the group but it is very fluid, that is the beauty of it. Nobody controls what we do, yet somehow it works.
But we do have growing plans; we develop processes such as our compost production; we learn from our neighbours; we learn from our mistakes. We are organised and list what needs doing, then people make their own choices and take initiative.
The fresh food we grow (above) is distributed to community fridges and homeless charities.
Last year, more than two tonnes of produces (1.7 tonnes the previous year) were donated. You might wonder how we could achieve this within just three plots.
The answer is that we grew a lot ourselves but had invaluable help from other growers.
Together with the Eastbourne Food Partnership, we created a ‘Crop Drop’ on the Gorringe Road site, where other allotment holders can donate surplus produce they have grown – and people are generous.
But we did not stop at this. Sally created Rooted Legends so people from across Eastbourne could contribute to the donations. We provide seedlings and seeds for people to grow at home and this has been really successful too.
We have strong connections with other initiatives such as the community fridges, Eastbourne Food Partnership, the Devonshire Collective, Sanctuary for people seeking refuge and the Towner art gallery. We are very much part of the fight to eradicate food poverty.
How the wider community benefits
We have events to engage people in growing plants and enjoying the outdoors. Creative sessions such as learning to crochet, making wreaths, making candles, art activities and nature awareness are popular.
We want to expand children’s activities, particularly for those who have no daily access to an outdoor space, and to help them understand where food comes from.
We are constantly expanding our knowledge, especially as we use the no-dig method. We are becoming more confident as a group and individually. Indeed some members have felt positive enough to tackle their own allotment plot.
One of our volunteers was inspired to start growing their own vegetables.
“A good few friends, neighbours and people from the local area have got involved over the last two years,” the volunteer told me.
“We grow on a little plot we have in Pevensey Bay. We grow the food and share between us, then any surplus is donated throughout the community through Rooted”.
The future is bright!
We have started a project to experiment with and document different planting methods, techniques and crops that will be climate resilient; and that will involve more local people. This is supported by funding from Blue Heart, part of a £200 million programme managed by the Environment Agency.
We are about to create a pond to provide a sustainable micro-habitat for pollinators and natural predators (every gardener will know about the 2024 slug and snail invasion!)
We are also ready to work with social prescribing providers to help people enjoy nature to improve their wellbeing.
We are truly a welcoming, inclusive and supportive group of people who enjoy a communal and organic approach to food production. We enjoy socialising together, having occasional cook-ups to share food and plan – and just to be together.
Finally, we recently received prestigious national recognition: the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society’s Carew Pole Community Award. This has inspired us to continue to have a positive impact and reach more people.
To me, Rooted is a story of hope, endurance and action, where a small group of thoughtful, committed people really can make a difference.
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