Charitable Donations

Charitable Donations 2023/24

As a gardening group, SOGS felt that its 202023/24 charitable donations should be directed towards community groups that had or were setting up food growing projects. For example, showing the local community how to grow food, getting them involved in running the projects, enjoying the fruits of home grown veg, and of course the benefits of composting. The recipients reported back on how the donations were spent and details are shown below. SOGS donated a total of £1,200.

Wales Seed Hub

The Wales Seed Hub is a cooperative of growers, working together to market, pack and distribute seed grown on Welsh farms using agroecological practices. The SOGs donation contributes to the production of some Seed Saving Cards which highlight saving seed from 9 different vegetables, plus a glossary card. The beautifully designed seed saving cards have all the information needed for successful seed saving at home. Sold in packs of the 10 cards, they are available to buy from Wales Seed Hub and the profits helps to support the hub with seed saving.

The Albert Howard Society

Sir Albert Howard, a farmer’s son from Bishop’s Castle, became a renowned scientist and pioneering campaigner for sustainable farming. The Albert Howard Society was formed in 2015, with the aim of getting Albert Howard's work and life known about in his birthplace, Bishop's Castle, the surrounding area and more widely. The SOGS donation contributed to the making of a commemoration plaque in Bishop’s Castle, for a Shropshire lad who became the founding father of the modern-day organic movement in agriculture. We will also work with the Society and the Bishop’s Castle Resource Centre to see how we can keep all the digitised archives in Shropshire and further recognise his work.

Bridgnorth Community Garden Project

The idea of a community garden project came from an original project at the 1808 Hazledine Foundry site, where the group cleared some land, built a dead hedge and grew vegetables for a short while. However, this site is now being developed by a local company as a commemoration garden to Prince Phillip. In March 2023 BCGP were approached by St James Hall Church to see if they would like to take on their grounds for a project. The SOGS donation and some money from Veolia has meant the group could complete a larger raised bed than first planned. The local primary school planted it up with vegetables and small seedlings, which will hopefully have produced an abundant harvest of organically grown produce and a new generation of organic gardeners.

Street Allotment Project

The aims of the Street Allotments Project are to find and borrow disused land in and around Shrewsbury, convert it to allotment spaces and grow free fruit and veggies for the community. The SOGS donation is being used to support one of their original and long-term projects at the Monkmoor pub to become self-sufficient in water by installing a rainwater collection system.