UK: Demand grows for inner city gardening plots as Covid-19 pandemic ravages U.K.
“I live on my own. I think if I hadn’t seen the people at the allotment, I would’ve gone nuts during lockdown,” said Karen Peck.
By Alasdair Lane
NBC News
Jan 24, 2021
Excerpt:
But in the midst of the pandemic, demand for allotments has soared in several British cities including London, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow and Sheffield, according to the South West Counties Allotment Association, a not-for-profit organization which protects and promotes allotment use across the United Kingdom.
“For me, it’s about more than just food,” said Peck, whose 430-square-foot plot is surrounded by dozens of others, also growing a colorful mix of flowers and produce.
Located just a minute’s walk away from her one-bedroom apartment, the urban vegetable garden has offered her an escape and chance to mingle in a responsible way with like-minded, nature-loving neighbors.
“I live on my own. I think if I hadn’t seen the people at the allotment, I would’ve gone nuts during lockdown,” she said.
At the best of times, this is important; but in a year of enforced social isolation and loneliness, she added that her “little oasis has proved no less than a godsend.”
