STORY: Green Community Hubs – Rowenna

Rowenna is a Leeds Shared Lives carer who provides day support for Steven, a proud plot holder at the Lady Pit Lane Allotments Green Community Hub in Beeston, and regular participant in the activities there.

The site, which can only be described as an unexpected oasis, is nestled between a busy main road and rows of Leeds’ trademark red brick back-to-back terraced houses. It’s a very special place for Steven and his enthusiasm has rubbed off so much that Rowenna herself has had an allotment plot application accepted there. She can’t wait to get stuck in!

Steven’s passion for growing and being outside is obvious and he proudly shows people round his extensive plot, with a variety of fruit trees, vegetables, a greenhouse, and lots of plans in the pipeline for further development. Rowenna sees plainly how important the site is for Steven.

Speaking of her involvement, Rowenna said:

“I lived here many years ago and I didn’t even know this was here. When Steven first brought me, I just melted – I fell in love. I thought ‘I want this so much’ even though it’s not very close to where I live. There’s clearly something Steven loves as well because he passionately talks about it and it’s very real for him, so that quickly was contagious.

“I don’t care how much work there is to do; I think it does you good and you feel so much better afterwards. Even though it’s not your own garden, it just makes you feel so much better in your head, in your body, in your soul. You learn something new every day, and the community is great – talking to people, getting tips off people, me sharing tips.

“And the peace… it’s a sanctuary where you can grow things, enjoy nature and have some peace and quiet – it’s just so much better for you.

“The benefits for Steven are just humongous; they’re fantastic. He tells me – and everybody – all these stories and wants to learn more.”

When asked what people like Steven, and others, would lose if places like this didn’t exist, Rowenna couldn’t be more emphatic:

“People wouldn’t be able to save themselves – and social skills, I mean people are losing that now anyway. People would lose so much I can’t actually describe it.