Vegetable garden blossoms under pressure

A vegetable garden tended by volunteers from around Bunbury and dedicated to feeding the needy has been harvested for the first time and with pressure on the region’s well-fare agencies growing, the volunteers are now planning to double their efforts.

With more than 50 welfare agencies from across the region now drawing on the South West Foodbank, manager Rob Prestage said the donation would be a tremendous help.

Mr Prestage said there had been a 15 to 20 per cent increase in the number of people turning to the Foodbank for help over the past 12 months and fresh vegetables were hard to come by.

"We get miles of fresh fruit, but fresh vegetables are always in short supply," he said.

"I congratulate these volunteers for what they are doing."

Located at Tom’s Community Garden, the project was master-minded by Dennis Thomson and his cousin Scott Thomson, whose father Colin Thomson had pioneered the community garden for seniors.

Mr Thomson said the idea of including a charity garden at the site occurred when having a beer with his cousin and had since grown.

"We put it to the garden’s committee and we’ve been going hell-for-leather ever since," he said.

Covering 75sq m, there are plans to double the plot and add a hot-house facility in which to propagate seedlings and grow out-of-season vegetables.

Mr Thomson said he wished to thank the many sponsors and volunteers without whose time, expertise and materials the project would not have been possible.