Myself and my team spent a lovely morning with Grow Chichester in Bishop’s Palace Gardens. Most of us know these gardens as an oasis of calm in the middle of the city but there is also a hive of activity, growing vegetables for people in community. The Church Commission offered Grow Chichester some space within the gardens in 2013 and for the past four years volunteers come together three times a week to tend to the beds, care for the plants before the busy time of harvesting. Due to the time of year we were given the job of turning over the beds, weeding and raking. The temperamental nature of the weather we potted a few plants in the greenhouse but nothing outside just yet.
These type of community projects are fantastic, with friendly volunteers welcoming newcomers, it is a lovely way to get to know people locally whilst also getting a bit of exercise. The vegetables are picked by volunteers and available to those who need them in the community. As well as Bishop’s Palace Vegetable Garden there are other community gardens at Oaklands Park and an orchard at Whyke.
After doing some gardening we sat in the sunshine with a cuppa and put the world to rights, discussing local issues through to world politics....
I’m still trying, with much difficulty, to reduce my use of single plastics for lent. I’m doing quite well but only by changing my habits which means I’m going without my morning takeaway coffee as I usually forget the reusable cup or I eat in the canteen with a proper knife and fork instead of grabbing a sandwich. The thing I have found most difficult is finding a convenient alternative for bottled water, particularly sparkling water. I have already lost two reusable water bottles as I’ve put them down and can’t remember where. I was therefore very excited to meet a local Chichester company called Eco for Life which makes a bottle which is made of 100% plants such as corn, cassava and sugar beet. The bottle apparently produces 60% less greenhouse gases and uses 50% less fossil fuels in its production and is being fully biodegradable. I’m excited about this type of technology and also the priority that the Government is putting on the environment which is laid out in the recently published 25 year environment plan towards a green future.