Bilston 'wasteland' transformed into allotments for community
A 'wasteland' overrun with weeds and packed with dumped rubbish has been transformed into thriving community allotments.
The overgrown area in Bilston's The Lunt needed a helping hand after rubbish began piling up on the site.
But staff at Wolverhampton Homes volunteered to spruce up the area in Johnson Place and create allotments for residents to grow their fruits and vegetables.
Wolverhampton Homes chief executive Lesley Roberts said: “This is a fantastic job by our staff and I can see that the tenants are delighted.
"We had over 70 staff volunteer to be involved in this project and they enjoyed it immensely as they love to give something back.”
The new community space, which opened on Friday, now boasts nine raised bed plots after staff painted fences, built the plots and created paths.
It came after the team received grants from the Department for Communities and Local Government's Pocket Parks initiative, as well as support from businesses in the area.
More than 50 members of staff and residents gathered at the site for the grand opening, when allotment plot holders were presented with their keys and a starter pack of garden tools.
Wolverhampton South East MP Pat McFadden praised the team behind the transformation for 'reclaiming the area for good use', including project manager Jag Jandu.
He added: "Staff and volunteers from Wolverhampton Homes have been working incredibly hard over the last year to transform a derelict piece of land into an allotment for the local community.
"Wolverhampton Homes currently run a staff volunteering project which allows their employees to work on projects and give back to the community.
"This is just the latest in a growing list of community volunteer projects undertaken by their staff, which have so far seen the creation of two playgrounds, a sensory garden and now an allotment.
"The plots have been allocated to members of the local community and I look forward to seeing this project develop."
