Students win award for allotments

Two Warwick students’ outstanding contribution to the Allotment Society has won them a regional award.

Chris Maughan and Laura Buchanan were named as the West Midlands Local Food Heroes 2013 and were presented with a trophy by representatives of Local Food, a £59.8 million cross-organisation programme managed by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts which distributes grants to food-related community projects.

Maughan and Buchanan were initially nominated by a fellow member of the Allotment Society and senior research technician at the School of Life Science, Carla Sarrouy, for their outstanding contribution to, enthusiasm for and commitment to the Allotment Society and food-growing in general.

The pair were shortlisted by a Local Food panel before an online public vote determined them Local Food Heroes 2013 for the West Midlands.

“I gained a passion for growing after volunteering on organic farms in the UK and abroad which opened by eyes to the importance of local and sustainable food growing,” Miss Buchanan told the Boar.

She added: “I think also think the allotment is a beautiful tranquil place which can also be used by students to relax and make friends which is also important.”

Last year, the Allotment Society began selling its produce at Warwick University food cooperative stalls at their allotment every Tuesday.

Mr Maughan explained to the Boar the manifold reasons for which students flock to the allotment: “Growing food provides a simple way in to a lot of complicated and often disconnected issues: health, the environment, land rights, labour conditions, community engagement, horticulture, etc.

“This means that people come down for a number of different reasons.”

He added: “Whatever they were initially expecting, however – and I include myself in this – participants often realise they are on quite a different journey than the one they thought they were on.”

The Allotment Society at Warwick is part of a National Union of Students scheme known as Student Eats.

It received £315,337 in grants from Local Food in 2012, £8000 of which went to the project at Warwick.