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Campaigns"A Bangladeshi woman was so thrilled at tasting a raspberry for the first time that she immediately toured the whole allotment searching for unfamiliar fruit and vegetables."
Students and Refugees Together works with asylum seekers and refugees in Plymouth, helping them integrate into the local community and offering support and activities.
They successfully applied for a Neighbourhood Renewal Community Chest grant of £5,000 to run a project which would allow refugees and asylum seekers to work on allotments for two days a week over a twelve month period. The project offered the participants, who were drawn from the Stonehouse, North Prospect and Honicknowle areas of the City, the opportunity to engage in a healthy and purposeful activity whilst learning horticultural skills, exchanging skills with others and meeting people from the local community, all whilst having a social time with their peers.
The need for the project was identified through a small pilot scheme, which was followed up by a questionnaire to refugees and asylum seekers. Discussions then followed with other agencies in Plymouth which were working with the target group and which had with access to allotments.
START's Occupational Therapist, together with an OT student, worked together to offer participants the opportunity to develop a number of allotments. They were able to take part in activities which provided training and exercise and resulted in productive outdoor work. Three plots of land were cleared, fencing was erected and planting areas were prepared. A composter was constructed and a shed was refurbished, to be used to store tools and equipment. The group then agreed on what to grow and set about selecting plants.
Many refugees and asylum seekers are socially isolated and have difficulty building relationships because of language and confidence barriers. The allotment project run by Students and Refugees Together has helped to overcome these difficulties by providing a meaningful, productive activity in a safe and secure environment, which everyone can take part in.
