We plan to turn a 5 pole plot (5x 2.5 metres squared) into 8 raised beds 1 metre wide and 6 metres long. There are two reasons for this:

Firstly there is always a waiting list for plots – usually between 15 and 20 people. This way we can get more people started growing fruit and vegetables quicker.

Secondly some people like the idea of growing their own but don’t realise the challenges or the amount of time it can take. I’ve found this even though I’ve sub-divided my 5 pole plots into 2.5 pole plots. This has meant them giving up after a year. With raised beds, people have the option to take on a much smaller and potentially more manageable area, but still be able to get the satisfaction of growing plenty of food. 

We do have the required skills to build the raised beds from within the existing plot holders, but if there were volunteers available to help build them we’d be delighted. Once built, there may be volunteering opportunities to help supervise if there were groups maintaining single raised beds