Allotment academy cash crisis

The Barnford and Farm Road Allotments Association in Oldbury has been producing gardening graduates from its base for the past 12 months.

Experts teach budding gardeners skills needed to grow the freshest fruit and vegetables, in an intensive course at the allotments in Farm Road. A special training turf has even been set up.

It teaches students about the different types of soil and special classrooms have been erected on the site. But the scheme has been put on hold because the money to pay the tutor ran out.

The Barnford and Farm Road Allotments Association is hoping to find the cash to allow the scheme to continue.

Organiser Lawrence Banner said: 'We are disappointed that we have had to put it on hold because it has been hugely successful. We have had so much interest.

"But we are not going to give up. We will be looking for alternative funding to carry it on."

The project was set up 12 months ago in a bid to train people how to garden and keep allotments.

The group has been working with people of all ages, including school children. Classrooms were built and an instructor - Martin Cracknell - was drafted in.

The courses cater for up to 20 people at a time. Students have been picking up a range of skills including planting and growing food, as well as caring for the gardens.

The courses have also been specially adapted to cater for disabled people with a number of raised beds for wheelchair users. Experts have also been invited to speak to students on a range of techniques.

But classrooms and turf areas have stood dormant since November last year when £29,000 Lottery funding ran out.

A £3,954 bid to Oldbury town committee is the latest one to fail, although it did agree to pay £2,954 for fencing around the site.

A number of bids are being prepared to find alternative sources of funding and members are hopeful of getting the scheme back up and running by the spring.

By Chris Howes