GREEN-fingered residents had their trowels and spades at the ready this weekend to launch a new community allotment.

The Swindon Mechanics Trust opened their new community allotment at Rushy Platt Allotments, off Wootton Bassett Road, on Saturday – with the help of an enthusiastic team of volunteers.

The allotment was gifted to the trust by Swindon Borough Council and they are urging the public to join up and get involved in making the allotment garden-ready over coming Saturday sessions.

Hannah Parry, community coordinator, said: “People have been really responsive to the idea of having a community allotment that is everyone’s responsibility and that we can all maintain as a community.

“People are excited about growing their own food, being healthier and enjoying the fresh air.”

Mechanics Trust volunteers were joined by members of the public in clearing the plot and getting the land ready for planting.

Hannah was delighted with the response that the Swindon public gave, despite freezing temperatures.

She said: “We had about seven people come down including three kids which was great for them to get involved – even if one was too little to help.”

And Swindon residents have assurance that all food grown in the community allotment will be full of natural goodness.

Hannah explained: “One lady who came down to help used to own the plot of land we were working on and knows that no chemicals were used in the soil so we can say that all the produce grown will be organic.”

During the all-day session the land was stripped of grass and the soil fluffed up to ready it for planting volunteers fortified by a barbecue lunch.

The allotment will be free for all to use with local businesses encouraged to donate any spare or unwanted gardening tools, machinery or seeds.

Food grown in the allotment will be used in the cafe with residents even getting a discount if they grew the food themselves.

It is the latest in a series of taster sessions the Mechanics Institute have been putting on at the Central Community Centre – encouraging the public to try something new.

Previous sessions have included learning Tai Chi, gardening classes and the Railway Villages new Baker’s arms Community cafe – with work almost completed.

The trust has also recently won a bid to run the Railwayman’s Cottage Museum.