Sprinkle Into Action

"Fun, exercise, food growing - this is our mantra" - said Janpal, the director of Southall Community Alliance, welcoming us at the Western Road community action day.

Western Road Urban Garden is a unique place in Southall. Risen from the foundations of a derelict allotment and decades-old rubbish dump, it became a flourishing place where the local community could grow food. Unlike many other sites, formed around specific faith groups, WRUG champions diversity and inclusion - everyone is welcome, no matter their background or beliefs.

Five GoodGymers: Bal, Kash, Paul, Sevan and Steph Ducat met other volunteers: John, Paulina, Ash, Jeff and two ladies from the local community and felt lucky that they relied today on their running, cycling and walking (even from a bus stop) rather than the Elizabeth Line, not so favourable to other volunteers.

"We were expecting Paul to arrive around noon." - Janpal
"Paul is here!" - GoodGym Paul

Janpal meant Paul from The Ealing Parks Foundation, who was supposed to swap with him as the community day leader, as Janpal was planning to attend the arts event at the Southall Town Hall in the afternoon.

The great indoors

Janpal gave us the usual tour around the allotment, starting with the famous polytunnel, where the temperature reached 35 degrees. Inside this magnificent structure, we discovered a plentitude of vegetables and herbs: courgettes, aubergines, tomatoes, melon, different varieties of chillies, tomatoes, pumpkins, cucumbers, sweetcorn, marrow, coriander and fenugreek. Western Road Urban Garden was a proud grower of plants known as staples of Indian and African cuisines.

Unlike their outdoor counterparts, reaching Janpal's waist height, the tomatoes inside the polytunnel towered over John, the tallest of volunteers. Because of their height, the tomato plants needed additional support - here is where Sevan stepped in, using bamboo sticks and strings to keep the giant plants in shape.

The veggies in the poly-sauna were very thirsty in the recent hot weather. Paul volunteered to water them with a hose. We didn't suspect (or did we?) he would use his new toy for surprise attacks, sprinkling the fellow GoodGymes with cool water. Paul's targets inside the polytunnel appreciated the refreshing experience, while others promised revenge - in December!

The great outdoors

While giving the new volunteers the intro to the urban garden, Janpal told us about one of his experimental purchases from the garden centre: a lemon cucumber, which he had planted earlier in the year, and we could marvel at its unusual fruit. He also entertained us with stories about the unexpected links between Western Road and the police!

The setup of the garden served people of all ages and abilities. The allotments, rather than being maintained by individual holders, were open to community groups and school children. The raised beds offered gardening opportunities to the elderly and those with reduced mobility - volunteers could sit on the edge of the wooden bed and immerse themselves in gentle weeding, without bending their backs.

Bal, Kash and Steph chose to continue the work they carried out during the last two community days: digging out the weeds. How could more fork work be so tempting? Maybe because there were only two small plots to finish off? The hard work paid off and before they left, Bal and Steph planted vegetables on the patch they prepared - a rare privilege if you are not a school child. Or a necessity while kids are on summer vacation?

As usual, Janpal hasn't forgotten about his staple incentives for the volunteers: ice-cold water, fresh fruit, tea and, of course, samosas. Keep an eye out for more community days at Western Road to taste those goodies after a dose of fresh air and exercise at the urban garden.

In the meantime, we are linking up again with Feeding Ealing (the organisation behind the Western Road polytunnel project) and Heston Lions to pioneer a new urban garden in Greenford - join us next Saturday for a task which is just a short walk away from Horsenden Farm monthly volunteering session.