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Haverhill residents who are struggling economically are being given produce grown on allotments in Bury St Edmunds.

Havebury tenants have turned into gardeners for a community allotment project in Bury St Edmunds which helps those who are struggling financially.

The green-fingered volunteers are working on five plots at the Mildenhall Road Estate which were provided by the affordable housing provider earlier this year.

Havebury’s lead neighbourhood ranger Steve Nutt explained that Jan Ely, Jean Shrimpling, Jane Turner and her son Darren have been busy growing food such as onions, potatoes, beans, sweetcorn and cabbages.

He said: “The volunteers are entitled to a share in the produce, but a large proportion goes to the Foodbank in Haverhill, which provides help to those going through a difficult time. We have just made our first donation and will continue to do so as the months go by.

“Havebury is committed to helping those less fortunate, and this was a great, practical way to make a difference to people living in our communities. We’re also pleased that the project has brought some of our tenants together.”

Jane Turner, who lives in West Road, added: “My son and I have wanted an allotment for some time so I was very keen to get involved in the Havebury project. It’s very relaxing to work outdoors on the plots and it’s nice to do something that helps other people.”

The Foodbank is run by REACH Community Projects in conjunction with The Trussell Trust and Haverhill and District Churches Together.

REACH projects director Henry Wilson said: “We were very grateful to Havebury for the donation which will help around half a dozen families.

"We supply people with non-perishable food but there’s nothing like fresh fruit and vegetables. We are very thankful that Havebury will be giving us produce from the allotments on a regular basis.”

He added: “We look after people whose lives are in crisis – we have given food to 520 people over the last five months.

"They may have lost their jobs, are going through a relationship breakdown or perhaps have debt problems. Receiving help from the Foodbank gets them through the bad patch in their lives.”

The Foodbank can be found at the REACH Resource Centre on the Clements estate. It is open from 2pm to 5pm on Mondays and Thursdays, from 10am to 1pm on Wednesdays and Fridays and all day on Tuesdays.

Havebury is looking for more volunteers for the allotment project. Equipment and training will be provided, and participants must be able to dedicate a couple of hours of their time each week. If you would like to get involved, call Steve Nutt on 0300 3300 900.