Our Community Allotment relies wholly on external donations to fund our rent, my coordination and overall running costs. So, it was fantastic to receive a generous donation from the East of England Co-op recently.

The East of England Co-op Community Cares Fund is a charitable initiative established by the East of England Co-op that provides financial grants to initiatives that address the theme of 'community cohesion and integration'. It aims to support people in playing an active part in our communities, to reduce barriers and inequalities, and improve social contact and experiences.

Damian Johnson, Multi Store - Branch Manager for East of England Co-op joined us at our community allotment today. The group and I showed him around the site and talked about what we do and the benefits gained from being a part of our community. Which of course tie in perfectly with the aims that the Community Care Fund was set up for.

Damian enjoys gardening at home and even had a go at digging the runner bean plot in his smart shoes today. Nobody gets away with visiting our gardens without getting stuck in to some tasks with the group.

We're so grateful to the East of England Coop Community Cares Fund and will of course keep Damian and his team updated on our growing year and how we put their funding to good use.