MARION SAUVEBOIS hears how town was inspired by two Yorkshire women who planted veg on ‘tired grass verges’

“HELP yourself, it’s free.”

Most of us would recoil at the thought of taking anything – vegetable, animal or mineral – gratis, sniffing a trap and scanning the bushes for baton-wielding bobbies ready to swoop in.

Our hopeless law-abiding streak has certainly put a spoke in Incredible Edible Swindon’s wheel.

After all, the grow-your-own community project relies on the simple concept of give and...take.

Thankfully though townspeople are slowly learning to forgo their scruples and help themselves to the kale, lettuce and berries planted across town by its team of volunteer gardeners.

“In our culture if you take something it’s called stealing of course,” says Incredible Edible’s Lisa Mullan. “That’s what we’re trying to rebel against. Take it – that’s the point.”

“There is that initial fear people have to overcome,” agrees fellow member David Sparks. “But it’s all there to be picked and eaten.”

The Incredible Edible movement claims its origin in the market town of Todmorden, West Yorkshire. Determined to improve their community, in 2007 Pam Warhurst and Mary Clear embarked on spates of ‘guerilla’ growing, digging up tired verges or equally unattractive spiky council-planted shrubs and planted rosemary, fennel and mint – all without permission from the powers that be.

Soon they were growing vegetables in community plots for everyone in the town to pick. As well as a community growing project, the movement has since supported businesses and backed the creation of learning centres.

The pioneering concept has spawned more than 100 groups across the UK and recently inspired a band of five volunteers to spread the Incredible Edible philosophy in Swindon.

“They started growing veg and leaving them at bus stops and places around the town,” adds Lisa, 44, from West Swindon. “The idea was to grow local food and it blossomed into helping the community. Now it’s huge and we wanted something like that in Swindon.”

Kathryn Hay and Anna Komar knew little about the movement until they attended the Future Shift Festival in Birmingham in April 2014 and took part in a workshop run by Pam Warhurst. They were sold on the Incredible Edible idea but putting their plan into motion was another kettle of fish.

“We came away really inspired,” says Kathryn, 35, of Old Town. “She is an extraordinary woman but we both had commitments and we didn’t feel that between the two us we could do it.”

Back in Swindon, Anna enlisted their friend Amanda Adams and together they advertised for volunteers in their community magazine.

Lisa, a scientist by trade and avid gardener, immediately answered the call.

They were put in touch with the Mechanics’ Institution Trust by one of the council’s locality facilitators (there was no question of flouting the law or going behind the local authority’s back in Swindon) and in August started planting spinach, chard and strawberries outside the Trust-run Central Community Centre.

“It was the middle of summer so we didn’t have much growing time left,” explains Lisa. “It was mainly green leafy things. We had some tomatoes too, sneakily taken from my garden and replanted. A couple of them ripened. It was a PR job as much as much anything, to get the message out there and show people what it was about.”

David, a digital marketer and horticulture student from Eldene, hopped on board earlier this year. Since then Incredible Edible has made its mark across town.

The team has built four raised beds and is about to put the finishing touches to a herb garden outside the Central Community Centre.

Keen to introduce children to the Incredible Edible way of life, they visited Croft Primary School and helped them start a vegetable bed.

They also built planters with users’ help at the Harbour Project, a charity which supports refugees and asylum seekers in Swindon, and filled them with lettuce, beans and herbs.

Thanks to a council grant of £500 they were able to pay for liability insurance and set up a website. “It’s about food but what’s also lovely is that we’re bringing the community together,” smiles Kathryn, who learnt the basics of gardening after joining the Secret Garden, a community project in Queen’s Park, in 2012.

The group has now claimed Toothill Farm as its new “kingdom”. Since they marched in hauling compost and bags of seeds, and thanks to successful community planting days and West Swindon residents’ help, the once unloved garden has turned out berries, kale, lettuce, beans and peas.

It is hoped the project will help those struggling to feed themselves in the community in the long term.

“The vision would be changing the culture of Swindon and to build this into people’s lives,” adds Lisa. “It could help people who are having difficulties, give them a fresh source of vegetables they could use.”

The goal is now for the community to take ownership of the community plots, by donating compost and seeds, lending a hand with the beds and crucially helping themselves to the produce without fear of reprisal.

“Anybody can do it,” insists Lisa. “It’s not about hippies in wellies and jumpers. And we’re not professionals. If something doesn’t work we’ll just try again next time.

“It’s about people getting involved, maybe by just driving past on their way home and taking out weeds or helping with admin or donating seeds. We all eat. What we’re doing is empowering people and encouraging them to take ownership.”

The possibilities are endless for Kathryn.

“Todmorden have a social enterprise training people in horticulture and something like that at the farm in Swindon would be amazing,” she says. “We would love to explore the cooking side of things and teach people how to use the produce. We are proud of what we’ve already achieved and there is so much more potential.”

To find out about Incredible Edible’s community days, how you can get involved or donate, visit www.edibleswindon.co.uk, the Incredible Edible Swindon Facebook page or email info@edibleswindon.co.uk.

Incredible Edible Swindon hopes to be nominated for best community growing project at the Grow Your Own Magazine’s awards and win £500 of gardening vouchers. To nominate it email awards@growfruitandveg.co.uk.