PIER launch community gardening project

Lynda Robinson, Chairwoman of Petrus Community, Mayoress Cecile Biant, Mayor Surinder Biant, Pam Warhurst CBE, Founder of Incredible Edible, Denis Skelton, co-ordinator at Petrus

Petrus Incredible Edible Rochdale (PIER) launched Incredible Medical, a new community gardening project, with an event which attracted over a 100 people armed with spades and forks to get the project off to a start.

Attendees included the Mayor and Mayoress, local councillors, health staff and a broad range of local organisations, volunteers and members of the local community.

Special guest Pam Warhurst CBE, founder of Incredible Edible, also attended to show her support for the project.

Benefits of the project include engagement of people within their local community in activities which promote health and wellbeing, increased understanding of healthy living and nutrition, improvement in the local environment and a better shared ownership of responsibility for open spaces in urban areas.

A variety of vegetables, fruit and flowers will be grown. The project will help promote and develop understanding about nutritious diet.

Denis Skelton, co-ordinator at Petrus, said: “Despite there not being too much sunshine, everyone has had a fantastic day and was supported by so many local agencies and people.

“Everyone got stuck in to working on transforming the land in to a community allotment which will be used by local groups and residents who want an allotment.

“We plan to work closely with the Croft Shifa Medical Centre as well.

“We wish to record our thanks to Rochdale Council who helped secure the site for Petrus and the owners of the land The One Partnership and Eric Wright Group who have donated use of the land.”

Petrus Incredible Edible Rochdale is now in its third year of operation and provides a broad range of community gardening services within the Borough of Rochdale which involve volunteers from within the Petrus Community and also members of the local community.