Ground-breaking work at a community garden is continuing apace thanks to new funding.
Custom Food Lab (CFL) is a social enterprise based on the belief that food is a basic building block of culture, health and stability. The Locavore Growing Project, at Martello Primary School in east Folkestone, is at the heart of its operation.
The project holds regular volunteering sessions, family gardening and workshops. Groups involved with the garden include Martello pupils, young people from The Beacon Plus, and residents of Napier Barracks.
A grant from Folkestone Community Works (FCW) is enabling CFL to buy an accessible compost toilet, chicken coop and outdoor kitchen. Other items include a solar panel kit with batteries for charging electrical tools, forest school kit and sandpit.
As well as the equipment, the money has paid for business development support and for a specialist advisor to create a project manual for sharing community growing and organising practices.
The advisor has also looked at the continuation and growth of Feeding Folkestone, a network of grassroots food action initiated by CFL. Through Feeding Folkestone, CFL has been able to support the setting up of the Folkestone Community Fridge and shared events such as a seed-saving workshop and community feast at the Locavore garden.
CFL co-director Cherry Truluck said: "The FCW grant has created a launch pad for the new phase of our Locavore Growing Project.
"It will allow us to develop the project with the wider community, rolling out our impact to connect with existing and new initiatives to build a groundswell of food-growing activities and build awareness of our work in Folkestone and Hythe.
"The impact will be transformative."
FCW, which is run by Folkestone & Hythe District Council, invests EU funding into small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in Folkestone's East, Central and Harbour wards.
SMEs in the East, Central and Harbour wards of Folkestone with less than 250 employees and a turnover of under £42m can apply for grants between £1,000 and £10,000. All grants have to be match funded by the businesses.
Cllr David Wimble, Cabinet Member for the District Economy, said: "As we look to find better - and cheaper - ways of eating, Custom Food Lab's work is more important than ever before.
"I am delighted we have been able to help its Locavore Growing Project - and the community it supports - with the FCW grant."
Leader Cllr David Monk added: "There is still time to apply for FCW funding and I encourage businesses who have been inspired by CFL and the good work it is doing, to get in touch to find out how they can benefit."
More details about the FCW project can be found here: https://folkestone.works/folkestone-community-works/
Photo caption: CFL co-directors Charmaine Jacobs (left) and Kate Clement are pictured at the garden with volunteers from Napier Barracks.
Feeding Folkestone also includes Plastic Free Folkestone, Incredible Edibles Cheriton, Sandgate Community Garden, Restock Kent, Kent Food Hubs, Diaspora Garden and a few individuals including local councillors (Laura Davison, Belinda Walker, Rebecca Shoob). It also maintains a mutually supportive connection with the Folkestone & Hythe District Food Network.
The Folkestone Community Works Programme is part-funded by the European Structural and Investment Funds 2014-20 and is managed by Folkestone & Hythe District Council.
European Structural and Investment Funds
The project is receiving up to £2.5 million of funding from the England European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Work and Pensions (and in London the intermediate body Greater London Authority) are the Managing Authorities for European Regional Development Fund and European Social Fund funding through the Growth Programme, funds established by the European Union to help local areas stimulate their economic development. By investing in projects the funds will help to support innovation, businesses, skills and employment to improve local growth and create jobs. For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding.
Date published: 5 October 2022