Smart new start gives allotment BeCHaR – The Prebend Day Centre Together We Grow newsletter Community garden and allotment project Winter Edition Smart new start gives allotment Project fresh heart Thanks to Bedford Concern for the Homeless and Rootless (BECHAR) keeping faith with the Prebend Day Centre’s Together We Grow, community garden and allotment project in recent years, we have gone from strength to strength. This summer we achieved self sufficiency in compost and plants , recycled 100% of the day centre’s food waste and trebled the amount of rain water collected for irrigation. We also supplied the Prebend Centre with a weekly box of food (top photo opposite) and harvested Jerusalem artichokes for Christmas (bottom photo) - but everyone involved knows that this is just the start. After the merger between Bechar and a larger charity called SMART in the new year, the opportunity to achieve much more becomes a real possibility. Why not visit and find out more? Please talk to Tim at Prebend Street or call 01234 349655. Together We Grow – where everybody is welcome

Together We Grow was voted charity of the year by the Eastern Region Office Sports and Social Club of Highways Agency based in Bedford. As part of their year long hard work Tim had to judge their Halloween cake competition. Second prize went to the spider cake which was only beaten by one point. So you really have to hand it to the winner Lizzie Cooper, whose Zombie Cake won first prize ( pictured below with the head judge who had just tried all ten entries and 27 cup cakes.)

Achievements this Autumn Donating Beetroots to Companions real bread charity Sowing Winter Wheat for Bake Your own lawn 2017. Supplying Day Centre kitchen with food . Composting all day centre waste. exchanging produce for donations to buy seeds for Autumn planting. Making hanging baskets and flower tubs for Prebend Street courtyard (top right). One member has a new job and another on full time CTECH course. Autumn planting of garlic, onions, green manure, broad beans and cabbages (bottom opposite). Reciprocal visits with the Bridge Horticultural project. Continued support for refugee and asylum seekers and mental health provider allotments. Group self planning trip to natural history museum in the Spring.