Allotments both once at the Olympic Site and at Acton nr the 1948 White City

The Acton Allotments and their fight to be allowed to grow food

The fact that the Acton Gardening Association is still in existence is down to a battle ten years ago, which ended with us losing 100 plots on two sites that were taken over by the then newly created Park Club.

At the end of the battle the rest of our sites survived. London allotments are always under pressure from developers and others who think the land could be better used. We have just lost a 12 plot site, which ended up at auction, with a guide price of £35,000. It was sold for the staggering sum of £155,000. This land has no access, or planning permission. The new owner wishes to run the site himself. We have agreed to that.

As for the Olympics the Associations Hon Sec Michael Wale made many visits to the East End to join the fight of Julie Sumner, and local allotmenteers to save a 100 year old site that was eventually bulldozed for a pathway into the Olympic stadium. Michael suggested to LOCOG that the site was halved for the Olympics, and the remainder made into a Heritage allotment site telling the story of this unique British part of our history.

Winston Churchill said 'Dig for Victory'

We would have had videos showing Winston Churchill’s epic campaign during the Second World War...Dig For Victory, when he campaigned for everyone to grow their own. Even have a pig in their backyard. But no, this was far too imaginative for LOCOG. The community they destroyed was largely Greek and Turkish who nearly every Sunday ate their Sunday meals under awnings on their plots.

Michael then wrote to Rosie Boycott, Mayor Boris Johnson’s alleged Food Czar to stage a heritage allotment on the site of the Acton Gardening association in Bromyard Avenue, because the 1948 Olympics were staged nearby at the White city, as well as at Wembley. He never received a reply.

The Acton Gardening Association has pursued an organic growing policy by removing all previous ‘nasties’ from our allotment shop. Our plotholders, therefore, produce good, wholesome, and healthy food, that you cannot buy in the plethora of nearby supermarkets.

Where do we see out future. ? We are forming a Legal Committee to ensure that we are well prepared for future battles. We will continue with our education policy where two of our allotment sites are used by Acton Active and the King Fahad Academy.