It’s National Allotment Week, and to celebrate we’re highlighting how Allotments across our city are far more than food-growing spaces – they’re a chance to cultivate connection amongst our community.
Brighton & Hove’s allotment sites are often thought of as places where individuals grow fruit and vegetables, but they are also thriving community spaces that support wellbeing, education, biodiversity and social connection. Across the city, community plots provide opportunities for people to grow food collectively, learn new skills and spend time outdoors in supportive environments.
Across the city’s allotment sites, community plots provide opportunities for people to grow food collectively, learn new skills and spend time outdoors in supportive environments. These include projects run by organisations such as the Macmillan Horizon Centre, the Phoenix Community Food Shop plot, Plot 22 at The Weald, Nurture Through Nature at Natal Road and the Brighton & Hove Families Centre Allotment Project at Walpole Road. Together with many smaller community plots managed by local groups and volunteers, these projects help make allotment sites welcoming spaces for learning, wellbeing and community connection.
Beyond the allotment sites themselves, Brighton & Hove is also home to a range of community growing initiatives that help expand the city’s edible landscape. Projects such as Growing Hollingdean Forest Garden and Racehill Community Orchard demonstrate how food production, biodiversity enhancement and community participation can be combined to create valuable green spaces for local residents.
Many sites also offer ways for new growers to get involved without the commitment of a full allotment plot. The Starter Bed Schemes at Craven Vale, Roedale Valley and The Weald, run by dedicated volunteers and local growing communities, provide manageable growing spaces and practical support for people taking their first steps into food growing. These schemes help people develop skills, gain confidence and become part of established allotment communities.
The city’s allotment sites are also important places of learning. School and youth growing projects give children hands-on experience of growing food, understanding seasonal cycles and exploring the natural world. These opportunities help young people develop practical skills and a lifelong appreciation of healthy food, wildlife and the environment.
Beyond food production, allotment holders make a significant contribution to nature recovery across the city. Many sites contain orchards, ponds, wildflower areas and pollinator-friendly planting created and maintained by volunteers. Plot holders have also supported biodiversity projects and research led by the University of Sussex, helping researchers better understand how urban green spaces can support pollinators and other wildlife. Through citizen science, habitat creation and wildlife-friendly gardening practices, allotment communities play an important role in enhancing biodiversity across Brighton & Hove.
“”Our allotment sites are living examples of what can be achieved when communities come together around food growing. From starter beds and community plots to biodiversity projects and school gardens, these spaces support people’s wellbeing, help wildlife flourish and create opportunities for learning, volunteering and connection across the city.”
Much of this work is made possible by the city’s allotment associations and charities. Through fundraising, grant applications, volunteering and community events, they invest in site improvements, support educational projects and create opportunities for wider participation. From plant sales and open days to infrastructure projects and community celebrations, these organisations contribute countless hours to ensuring allotment sites remain welcoming and accessible spaces for all.
Together, these initiatives show that allotment sites are about far more than individual plots. They are places where people learn, volunteer, support one another, connect with nature and contribute to a healthier, more sustainable city. Through the efforts of tenants, volunteers, community groups, charities, schools and partner organisations, Brighton & Hove’s allotments continue to grow not only food, but stronger communities as well.
