Would you like more people in your area to have an allotment?
The criteria for this fund has changed – please read carefully before applying.
Green Allotments is funding the purchase of land for new non-profit allotment sites in England. We will fund up to £50,000 per acre for new allotment land. The New Allotment Site Fund is best suited to residents who want to create a new allotment site. You must be prepared to get involved in management of the new allotments on a voluntary basis – this is called ‘self management of allotments’ and is a tried and tested method in the allotments movement. We will help and support you to constitute as an allotment society if your application is successful.
This is not a grant giving fund, we do not award money.
The award is a 30 year Peppercorn Lease with the intention to renew, an exceptionally generous offer for new allotment land at a time of high waiting lists and few new council allotment sites.
This is an innovative and unusual fund, compared to those operated by grant awarding bodies. With this in mind, please ensure you read all 3 tabs on this page (“About” and “How it Works” and “How to Apply”) before deciding to apply.
Who can apply?
Our focus is on the new plotholders managing their new allotments themselves. This is called self-management of allotments, removes dependency, and encourages a strong viable allotment community.
This way of working means we are keen to hear from residents who want to come together and get new allotment land for their area – we can help you form an allotment society to manage the new allotment site.
Environmental stewardship and biodiversity are important parts of our intention for the new allotment land we fund, e.g. no pesticides or herbicides to be used.
We are accepting applications now and there is no current deadline for applications. Please read the Exclusions at the end of this page before you contact us.
Simply contact us by whichever method is best for you, no application form to complete, and we will be in touch.
Open to
Permanent residents in England
Age 18 years or over
Exclusions
All tiers of Councils and statutory organisations are excluded from applying.
If you are looking for a grant to buy land for yourself or for an organisation (or to buy land your community organisation currently rents or owns), then we cannot help you. Green Allotments always retains ownership of the new allotment land, this helps protect the land as allotments for the future.
We do not award to Community Interest Companies (CICs), because this organisational structure does not dovetail with our model, nor would there be anything for CICs to gain. The Green Allotments model of allotment provision is for the new community of gardeners (plotholders) to constitute as an allotment society, we provide help and support with this process.
The new allotments are not for the exclusive use of one demographic group. The new allotments are to be rented on a first come first served basis to any member of the public, in line with allotment law. This means we cannot work with you if you are a community group and you want to create an allotment for the sole use of your clients.
Aims
The criteria for this fund has changed – please read carefully before applying.
Our aim is to provide land for new allotment sites.
You can read more about our charity on this website and by visiting us on Insta, Facebook, Bluesky, and LinkedIn.
Community-led Management ("Self-management of allotments")
You can ask Green Allotments to buy land for new allotments. The new plotholders manage their new allotments themselves. This is called self-management of allotments, removes dependency, and encourages a strong viable allotment community. Green Allotments always retains ownership of the new allotment land, this helps protect the land as allotments for the future.
Our focus is on community-led management and environmental stewardship, to ensure a sustainable future for allotments. This means the new allotment land will be managed by the new community of gardeners. We will assist in helping you set up as an allotment society. We will pay your first year’s membership of The National Allotment Society so that you have access to independent legal advice and other resources. Our charity’s team have been involved in allotment societies and the national allotment movement for decades, so you have experienced hands to help you on your way to new allotments.
You must be willing to collaborate with Green Allotments to get land for new allotments in your area and be involved in the future management of the land as allotments.
Land Purchase
Green Allotments charity will buy the land and mentor you to get the new allotments up and running.
Land Ownership
Green Allotments will retain ownership of the new allotment land.
This protects the allotments for the future.
The new allotment society is awarded a 30 year Peppercorn Lease with the intention to renew, an exceptionally generous offer for new allotment land at a time of high waiting lists and few new council allotment sites.
Land Search
Please look for a piece of land before you contact us, and tell us about this land. Include a What3Words or Google Maps link to the exact location of the land. We have a guide here on how to look for land for allotments, please ensure you read this fully before you tell us about a piece of land.
Cost of Land
For this stage of the funding programme, we are unlikely to fund the purchase of land for new allotments where the cost is more than £50,000 per acre.
Our current priority is to purchase land for as many new non-profit allotment sites as possible.
Not for profit
We are a charity and not for profit.
We do not make any money out of creating new allotment sites.
Green Allotments: always for charity never for profit.
No form to complete
There is no form filling at this stage, please just get in touch and tell us:
- Who you are and where you are based
- How to contact you
- Some brief information about the land you have seen for a new allotment site, including a What3Words or Google Maps link to the exact location of the land.
- Why you think this land will make a good allotment site.
- A little bit about allotments in your area, if there are any!
Accessibility
You can provide information in any format: video, voice snippet or type – and you can send this to us using any of the following channels:
- Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, LinkedIn (Links to our socials are at the bottom of every page on this website)
- Email [email protected]