By Katherine Turner
A WEST Leeds woman who is dedicated to creating a green space for all to use has been thanked for her hard work in the community.
Alison Brewster volunteers at the Bramley Baths Gardeners, a group set up to maintain the community garden at Bramley Baths for grown-ups and little seedlings.
Alison was nominated as a community champion by Bramley resident Win Roddy. She said: “Alison has been lead gardener at Bramley Baths for a number of years now. She is always cheery and unassuming. She has seen volunteers come and go, but manages to keep the gardens flourishing. Alison has been at the garden since it was just a waste plot.
“It looks really good, they want to encourage the kids to come and pick fruit after their swimming lessons or to do some gardening. Alison is a constant, she has kept it going through winter and summer.”
Alison told WLD: “I am flattered, but I’m sure there are people far more deserving than me.
“The gardeners are supporting the community and providing a nice place where people can come after swimming. But the main reason is that we provide fruit, vegetables and salad to people at a time when many are struggling.
“The children love to pick the fruit after they’ve been for a swim. It might even encourage some of them to go home and take up gardening and grow their own.”
Alison enjoys a weekday morning swim and spends a little time each day planting, tidying, watering and weeding.
The garden provides tomatoes and cucumbers in the greenhouse, lettuce, radishes, spinach, carrots and broccoli in the raised beds. They also have apples, pears, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and redcurrants and will also be growing beans and peas.
Alison comes from a gardening family: “The Baths got a grant to improve the garden just after it became a community enterprise in 2013 and set up a Friends group. I come from a gardening family. My father was a keen gardener and had an award-winning garden in Adel, and my mum used to grow tomatoes. It runs in the family.”
Bramley Baths is a community-led, not-for-profit centre that houses a public gym, swimming pool, steam room and space for events and fitness classes.
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To nominate a Community Champion simply drop us an email at news@westleedsdispatch.com with the name of the person you would like to nominate and the reasons why. Please include your name and telephone number so that we can contact you.