Let's Grow Preston and Egg Rolling 2024
18 March 2024
Annie Wynn tells us all the details of Let's Grow Preston (LGP) and their Egg Rolling plans.
In the lead up to Easter, and Preston's celebrated chocolate Egg Rolling event, we asked Annie Wynn to gives us more details about Let's Grow Preston, and their planned activities on Avenham and Miller Park for the big day.
Tell us a little more about yourself and your role with Let's Grow Preston.
"I am the CEO of Let's Grow Preston, so I am responsible to the Board of Trustees for the day to day running of the charity. My main focus is income generation and to ensure the sustainability of the charity. I was born in Preston and worked in the corporate sector for nearly 30 years before being appointed as the Project Development Manager of Let's Grow Preston in 2018, which is when the charity stopped being run solely by volunteers.
I've been involved with the charity since its inception in 2011. The team and I have helped to develop the charity into a thriving and useful organisation that helps hundreds of people a year. Our combined lived experience enriches our understanding of the challenges and opportunities within the community, fostering a more empathetic and holistic approach to the charity's mission and vision."
Tell us a little more about the work you do and how people can support Let's Grow Preston.
"As well as supporting a network of community gardens and friends of parks, we promote physical and mental wellbeing through the lens of horticulture. We follow the principles of social therapy in horticulture. If we can teach you how to sow a seed, and that seed germinates, you have created life. If you are then shown how to care for that plant, and that plant produces flowers or food, then you have pride in your success. It is through the skills that you learn, volunteering at LGP, that you gain resilience, confidence, and learn how important you are, how you can look after yourself, how you are part of the community.
The allotmenteers of Preston, of which there are over 400, donate their surplus harvests to us each year and we distribute the vegetables to the food hubs of Preston. Last year we donated the equivalent of 17,000 meals and sequestered over 1.65 tons of carbon. What it meant to our volunteers is that the voluntary work that they do has a meaningful, tangible and measurable effect on people who are in food poverty.
People can support us by volunteering with us, helping us in a variety of ways, from driving the van for a few hours a week, to being one of our welcomers, to buddying with our service users, to just talking about the work that we do.
We rely upon funding and generate an income through selling plants and providing workshops and activities. You can donate at Let's Grow Preston - Donate."
Tell us a little more about the activity you are bringing to egg rolling 2024.
"In addition to bringing along some amazing plants to sell and raise funds for LGP, we will have a few quick activities for people to take part in;
Leave an impression, is about leaving a message of hope with a clay impression.
Sowing the seeds is literally sowing seeds which we will grow on and donate to community gardens, organisations and the allotmenteers. Each family that sows some seeds for their community will be given a voucher for a growing vegetable plant which they can redeem at Ashton Walled Garden at our Spring Fair on 27 April, 2024."
What are you most looking forward to for egg rolling 2024?
"The whole team are looking forward to seeing old friends and new, to engaging with the public and telling them all about Let's Grow Preston. The atmosphere is always so celebratory and so communal. It's just a really friendly and exciting event to be part of and we can't wait for it!"
Egg Rolling 2024
Let's Grow Preston will be attending Egg Rolling in Preston on Monday 1 April with lots of fun things to see and do. You can find all the details about the event day on Egg Rolling 2024.
Preston's Egg Rolling is an annual Easter bank Holiday tradition of rolling chocolate Easter eggs down Avenham Park Hill. You can read more information on Egg Rolling.
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