The project
The NTU Foodshare Allotment was established in 2014, initially created as a joint venture between NTU, UPP Ltd, NTSU and Nourish Associates. The purpose of the space was to create opportunities for students and colleagues to volunteer their time, whilst re-connecting with nature and contributing to the local Nottinghamshire community. It makes up just a small fraction of the 32 hectares of green space at NTU’s Clifton campus, and has contributed towards NTU’s consecutive achievements of the Green Flag Award.
The allotment sits in the gardens behind Peverell halls of residence, and is now primarily managed by NTU. Weekly volunteering sessions are hosted at the allotment, led by NTU Sustainability and NTU Global Lounge every Wednesday 1- 3pm. Volunteers can drop in during this time and be guided by a professional gardener to help grow seasonal crops for local community kitchens.
The space also hosts an Outdoor Classroom which is utilised by various modules within NTUs Institute of Education, to create different modes of learning for our students.
How is sustainability embedded at the allotment?
The allotment has been designed to be as self-sustaining as possible. Water butts have been installed to harvest rainwater from the halls of residence that enclose the space. Old bicycle wheels have been donated from NTUs Cycle Hub to create growing walls. Old newspapers and cardboard boxes form the basis of paths around the allotment, which are then covered with woodchips harvested from trees on NTUs estate.
The amount of synthetic materials brought into the space is minimised as far as possible, to facilitate a true green space, connected to, and giving back to nature.
What is grown at the allotment?
The allotment grows crops all year round, based on their seasonality. Regular crops harvested include:
- Tomatoes
- Broad bean
- Garlic
- Onions
- Rainbow chard
- Potatoes
- Pumpkins
- Lettuce
- Raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries
And much more!
NTU’s Allotment Coordinator also utilises sessions outside the growing season to transform raw produce into other usable products. This has included, grapes into juice and berries into preserves.
Partnerships
All produce grown at the Foodshare allotment is donated to local community cafes and foodbanks. Occasionally, excess crops that are not suitable for donation are given to the volunteers to take home as a thanks for their work.
Food grown over the 2023-24 academic year has been donated to charities including Guru Nanak's Mission and Windmill Community Gardens, used for both community meals and children's crafting sessions where paints were made from berries!
Teamwork in bloom
NTU Faith visit the Foodshare Allotment
In addition to regular collaboration with NTU Global, throughout 2023/24 several teams and departments supported efforts at our Clifton Campus Foodshare Allotment. Colleagues from Employability, Student Services, Estates and more have used their green skills to help us grow and harvest food for local community kitchens. We also have regular student volunteers join us on Wednesday afternoons.
In May, NTU Faith visited the site to undertake weeding, harvesting and maintenance. NTU Faith Ambassadors were on hand to discuss the connections between faith and nature; student attendees described the session as a chance to destress, engage with the environment, and develop skills outside the curriculum.
Recent refurbishments
The previous polytunnel cover had been in place since the allotment was built, and had shown signs of degradation, as well as general build up of dirt, reducing the amount of sunlight that could pass through to the lights inside. The new cover, installed late 2024 has been replaced and now looks as good as new! With sustainability and recycling always in mind, the old cover has been reused throughout the allotment.
In late 2024, the old, rotting wooden beds were been removed and have been replaced with beds made from British recycled plastics. In doing so, the lifecycle of the beds has been significantly extended, allowing NTU volunteers to continue planting and growing crops for the years to come.
Since its initial conception, the space is now used an increasing number of groups, each with different purposes and access requirements. As part of the wider allotment refurbishment, the NTU Estates is coordinating with colleagues in the Nottingham Institute of Education to improve the accessibility of the allotment and outdoor classroom, starting with the main path that connects Peverell to the nature trail. This project will take place throughout 2025
Get involved
Any student or staff member is welcome to volunteer at the Foodshare allotment. Whether you’d like to spend more time outdoors, improve your gardening skills, or just help to give back to the local community. Drop in volunteering sessions run weekly during term time, Wednesdays, 1-3pm.
Additionally staff teams are welcome to enquire about team challenges days.