We want to encourage allotment holders to grow a row of fruits or vegetables for RHJYC, helping us to feed over 120 children every week. If you have an allotment and would like to share your produce, please consider supporting our campaign!
Grow a row supported by Deddington Allotment
We are delighted to be supported by Deddington Allotment Society, who have chosen to support our work by growing produce for Rose Hill Junior Youth Club.
So far, we have benefited from receiving an abundance of apples and plums from Deddington, which the children have thoroughly enjoyed eating during our sessions.
We have also been able to produce our own pasta sauce, thanks to the range of fresh vegetables we have received from the allotment holders.
Mike O’Brien, from Deddington Allotment Society, said:
“We are delighted to support this initiative between Deddington Allotment and RHJYC. There are whole generations who have never learned how to prepare fresh food, which can be just as cheap as ultra-processed, so the idea of giving our produce to children is where we have to start, because hopefully they will grow up with a knowledge about food that will last them all their lives and can be passed on to their children.”
Our Food Ambassador, Gregg Brown, is also supporting the Grow a row campaign, encouraging local allotment holders to support local charities:
“I’m incredibly proud of the collaboration that we’ve built between the charity and the allotment here in Deddington. The opportunity to provide healthy and fresh produce for the children each week is incredible. We hope to inspire allotment holders across the county to support local charities through the Grow a row campaign.”
Feeding children at RHJYC
RHJYC runs four after-school youth club sessions for ages 5-16 every week during term-time, at Rose Hill Community Centre.
Our sessions are free to attend, offering an enriching mix of free-play activities, arts and crafts, sports, games and more!
At the end of every session, we provide a hot and nutritious meal for every child and young person who attends, ensuring no child goes home hungry.
We have also developed a range of nature and food projects, teaching children how food is grown, and how to produce tasty and healthy meals in a fun and accessible way.
“It’s great what you can teach children once they start making it themselves, and they taste the food. When they cook food themselves, they are more likely to eat it because they know where it’s coming from and it means something to them.” – Ros Barresi, JYC cooking tutor.
Support our campaign
If you live in Deddington and have an allotment, please contact Mike for information about how to get involved:
If you are an allotment holder outside of Deddington and want to support our work by growing a row for Rose Hill JYC, or want to hear more about our work, please get in touch:
We would also like to encourage allotment holders who are not local to us to reach out to another local organisation or charity. Your produce could help to support other vital food initiatives, and also strengthen links in communities between residents and local groups.
Thank you so much for reading our campaign, and thank you for supporting our work.