Abundance in Burngreave

Story: Laura Moya

Have you ever wondered where your food comes from? Did you know that there could be fruit waiting to be picked right on your doorstep?

Ever heard of the Abundance project?

Abundance is a city-wide scheme set up by volunteers, which aims to harvest seasonal fruits that may otherwise go unnoticed.

“One of our main aims is to make people more aware of the produce around them,”

said Kate Stott, one of the Abundance volunteers in Burngreave.

The project has proved to be a success in other areas of the city, such as Sharrow, where volunteers have picked fruit such as cherries, apples and pears. Kate said,

“Abundance has been running in Sharrow for 3 or 4 years. Last year was the first time the Abundance project happened in Burngreave and just two of us harvested around half a dozen apple trees over 3 expeditions.”

The project takes a laid-back approach and runs on a small scale with much of the fruit donated to local organisations. Last year for instance, Abundance gave apples to Ellesmere and Burngreave Children’s Centres, as well as Firth Park Sure Start and Meadow’s children’s centre.

“It all comes from our urban environment without us trying.”

Abundance in Burngreave is looking for all kinds of people willing to get involved, from fruit-pickers to home-owners who have fruit trees in their back gardens. Do you have a tree you are unable to harvest yourself? Similarly, if you are part of a community group that could make use of the harvest, they are happy to give you a donation.

For more information, you can visit http://www.growsheffield.com or contact Kate Stott by e-mailing katestott@yahoo.co.uk.