Our projects
Give Two Figs currently supports and leads two community spaces:
Hevingham Community Allotment
3 years ago, a third of the plots on the parish council Herbert Phillipo Allotments were sadly empty or unused. Becky started to sell the calendars to buy resources to host allotment open days in order to raise awareness and break down some of the barriers newcomers might feel when taking on their own allotment. Helped by many supporting hands of other allotment holders and community members, they brought together newbie growers and families who collectively took on a shared plot before taking on plots of their own.
Calendar profits were then used to start at community allotment, bringing to life two unused allotments.Half was used by starter gardeners trialling their skills in 2x1m beds, a quarter hosted and maintains a communal polytunnel and a quarter was rented by a local childminder who continues to use the space to teach her preschool children.
The majority of raised bed holders went on to take ownership of their own allotments and (assisted by the pandemic) all the allotments were soon full! The raised beds continue to support people wanting to learn the ropes, using them as stepping stones to bigger growing spaces.
This project was kindly supported by the Parish Council who donated one of the plots to the project and £130 to buy tools. The community allotment was also awarded a £500 grant fund from Cllr Julie Nessam which part-funded the communal polytunnel that enables existing allotment owners and local community members to grow vegetables all year round, learn more productive growing techniques, and provide a place of shelter.
Hevingham Village Hall Garden
After the success of the Community Allotment, Becky decided to bring people together by transforming a public empty space – an unused part of the local Village Hall playing field to give the community access to practice skills of growing vegetables and looking after the soil in a more sustainable way.
After being granted permission to take on a 14m x 28m plot next to the children’s play area in the summer of 2021, the transformation work began!
With helping hands from the local community via weekly volunteer days, the space now hosts a 10m willow tunnel, 10 raised beds, fruit bushes and trees, herb beds, ornamental plants, a 6-meter pergola, and seating, all connected by a central pathway for accessibility.
This is just the start of this project!
Each year will see the space bloom and many more people benefiting from the garden with regular volunteering days, activity days, and weekly harvests.
For more information on how you can lend a helping hand or benefit from the Community Garden, see the Get Involved page.
The garden has been established using grant funds and generous donations which we are very thankful for!
These include:
The National Lottery funded work at the Hevingham Village Hall Community Garden, including installation of the water tap, fencing, raised beds, plants, tools and equipment, compost, weekly volunteer sessions during 2021/2022, and a series of autumn/winter activity days in 2021.
The Geofrey Watling Foundation funded the accessible paths and raised beds, making the garden more accessible to people with a range of access needs, and provided low-maintenance, high-quality infrastructure, built to last.
The Soil Association via the Good Food Network helped with signage and equipment costs.
The Norfolk Community Foundation ‘Greening our Communities’ grant fund helped the cost of weekend activity sessions, improving facilities, and establishing a new mini orchard area
The Garden also received generous support from within the village and surrounding areas to whom we are ever grateful…
- Baileys of Norfolk donated all of the pathway materials.
- Ellis Timber supplied all of the timber for the roof of the pergola.
- Felthorpe Nursery provided numerous plants to give the garden a leafy boost!
- Ace of Spades and Zac Branch gave hugely beneficial woodchip deliveries
- Many community supporters donated plants and/or time in the gardens initial set up: David and Louise, The Bambridges, Tim and Ruth, Michelle, Ros, Oli, Chrissy, Juliet and John, Shane and Sharon, Julie & Francesco, Ewan, Suzzane, Darren and Claire, Luce, Donna, Annalise and Isabella, Claire, Matt, Bethany and Mia, Amanda and family, Lois, Rick, David, and The Natwest Volunteer Group. And to everyone who kindly offers words of support & encouragement you are all wonderful humans!
- The project was also grateful to receive discounted plants and materials from Norfolk Herbs, Woodgate Nursery, and Woodblocks.