A Runcorn resident who has spent years growing fresh food for local people has received support from Halton Housing’s Helping Hands Fund. This support will help their community food project, Grow Your Own, to grow even bigger.

Grow Your Own has been giving fresh fruit and vegetables to individuals, families, food banks and community food larders since the Covid lockdown. The grower recently secured two new allotment plots from Halton Council, allowing the project to produce even more food.

The grower’s work has been noticed across the region and even nationally. They have been featured in newspapers and on BBC News, showing how community projects can help with food insecurity. They also have over 14,000 followers on TikTok, where they share gardening tips that help people improve their health and wellbeing.

Thanks to £1,937.33 from the Helping Hands Fund, Grow Your Own has been able to buy important battery-powered tools and gardening equipment. These tools are already being used to build raised beds, borders, fencing and a new gate for the second plot. This will help the project grow more food throughout the year.

The tools will also help the grower make wildlife boxes, plant supports and materials for teaching sessions. This means more people will be able to learn how to grow their own food and develop new skills.

All the food grown on the expanded plots will go to people in Runcorn, including Halton Housing customers. Local group Four Estates has confirmed they will help share the food through their community larders.

With the rising cost of living affecting many families, the grower hopes this support will “help grow more food for more people,” making sure that those struggling can still access fresh, healthy ingredients.

Georgina Crank, Social Impact & Engagement Officer at Halton Housing, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to support such a positive community project. Grow Your Own is making a real difference to local families, and we’re proud that our Helping Hands Fund can help the project grow and reach even more people across Runcorn.”

By supporting projects like Grow Your Own, Halton Housing’s Helping Hands Fund is helping improve community wellbeing, build new skills and make a lasting difference to people across Runcorn.

Find out more about Grow Your Own on their Facebook page here.