The Penrith and Eden District Freegle group is receiving funding from the Big Lottery funded Sustainable Eden project run by Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS) during 2013, 2014 and 2015. The funds will be handled by Freegle UK and some of the work is being sub-contracted to PACT.
Freegle aims to support the growing of food in Eden District by helping people pass on unwanted seeds, plants, trees and surplus produce to others for free. The Freegle Direct web service has been set up to enable people to join, offer and request items in a garden category. CAfS and the PACT Food Group will help with local publicity such as films and events, and encourage skill-sharing to start alleviating food poverty.
Please complete these two surveys before the end of Sunday 6th December 2015
Freegle has a target of 500 people in Eden District exchanging locally grown food stuffs by the end of the project.
Please read our Year One report.
Main project actions
Penrith and Eden District Gardening sub-group
- Most Freegle groups are now accessed by the Freegle Direct web service.
- You can now join the Penrith and Eden District Freegle group and opt to see only messages in the gardening category.
- Statistics will be kept of the number of people who hand over items in the gardening category
Local publicity
- Freegle and PACT will run local events to publicise grow-your-own
- PACT will produce films on growing and a case study
- Freegle will provide a phone service to help people place offers or requests
Other activities
- PACT and Freegle are organising a Visiting Edible Gardens programme for 2014 and 2015 to help people share their gardening tips and skills.
- PACT has created a "Egg Map" website that maps where items are available "at the gate", eg eggs for sale, surplus rhubarb free or for a donation.
Main events
- May 2012: Survey to assess interest in grow-your-own through Freegle.
- 6 October 2012: Freegle Give and Take in Alston with seeds/garden theme.
- 14 October 2012: PACT and Freegle stall at Acorn Bank Apple Day, inc film of event.
- 8 November 2012: Presentation at PACT Sustain Eden social evening.
- 30 November 2012: Article in WWOOF UK Newsletter about the wonders of Asparagus Kale.
- 19 January 2013: PACT Stone Soup day in Penrith with Freegle Give and Take stall.
- 24 February 2013: Freegle stall at Kirkby Thore Seedy Sunday.
- 14 April 2013: Grow-your-own launch event at Bolton Memorial Hall near Appleby - film of the event.
- 1 May 2013: Article on page 19 of Transition Free Press about Asparagus Kale.
- 6 May 2013: Freegle at PACT May Day stall in Penrith.
- 20 July 2013: Freegle at PACT stall at Penrith on a Plate.
- 3 August 2013: Freegle will speak at the CAfS Sustainable Community Solutions Summer Fair.
- 14 September 2013: Give and Take event in Penrith
- 13 October 2013: Freegle at PACT stall at Acorn Bank Apple Day.
- 18 November 2013: Freegle briefing at the talk by Paul Allen.
- 1 February 2014: Freegle stall at Stone Soup event in Penrith.
- 8 March 2014: Freegle Seedy Saturday in Penrith.
- 2014: Visiting Edible Gardens programme of garden visits once a month...
- 23 March 2014: VEG visit to Penrith - front lawn converted to growing veg
- 27 April 2014: VEG visit to Appleby community polytunnel
- 5 May 2014: PACT and Freegle May Day stall in Penrith
- 17 May 2014: VEG visit to raised beds in Penrith
- 29 June 2014: VEG visit to a Church Brough garden
- 19 July 2014: PACT and Freegle stall at Penrith on a Plate
- 12 October 2014: PACT and Freegle stall at Acorn Bank Apple Day
- 14 October 2014: Local Food Matters conference, Penrith
- 14 March 2015: Seedy Saturday, Penrith
- 29 March 2015: Grow-your-own stall, Lowther Plant Fair
- 18 April 2015: Freegle Give and Take, Penrith
- 19 April 2015: Grow-your-own training, Crosby Ravensworth
- 25 April 2015: Grow-your-own training, Penrith
- 16 May 2015: Penrith VEG visit and Methodist church plant sale
- 17 May 2015: VEG visit - Staffield Hall Walled Garden
- 5 July 2015: VEG visit to Val's garden, Church Brough
- 18 July 2015: Grow-your-own stall, Penrith on a Plate
- 21 July 2015: Appleby Edibles polytunnel visit
- 23 July 2015: VEG visit - Glassonby garden
- 2 August 2015: VEG visit - Colby garden and orchard
- 22 August 2015: VEG visit - Grow food not lawns , Penrith
- 20 September 2015: VEG visit - Bampton orchard
- 3 October 2015: Freegle Give and Take, Shap
- 11 October 2015: PACT and Freegle stall at Acorn Bank Apple Day
- 12 March 2016: Seedy Saturday, Penrith
Local links
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
 Freegle Grow-Your-Own leaflet for existing growers | 508 KB |
 Penrith Freegle Grow-Your-Own poster | 319.72 KB |
| Freegle-Grow-your-own-leaflet-July2013.pdf | 464.31 KB |