Published: Thursday, 25th June, 2009 9:00am

Why our townspeople are experiencing the "good life"

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Enniskillen residents are following an age old trend, originally made popular by characters like Coronation Street"s Jack Duckworth and recently revitalised by Queen Elizabeth and Michelle Obama.

Allotments have been a hobby for city and town folk for centuries, with some boroughs in London having a 40 year waiting list. Now Michelle Obama has been snapped tending to her White House Kitchen Garden while the Queen and Prince Philip were served fresh strawberries from their Buckingham Palace allotment on his 88th birthday.

In Enniskillen"s Kilmacormick Nature Reserve plots are currently available on the scenic two acre site. The allotments are the brainchild of the Devenish Partnership Forum (DPF), a community group covering Kilmacormick one and two, Cornagrade and Hillview.

Lettuce, scallions, radishes and potatoes grow in abundance among the plum, blueberry and red berry trees and all are surrounded by a hedge of willow trees. Twenty allotments are in use and there is the potential for many more.

The group had community gardens a number of years ago which were subject to vandalism but after funding from the Department of Social Development"s (DSD) Neighbourhood Renewal Scheme for a fence, the new allotments are sure to offer a secure environment for growing fresh food and promoting a pride of place among residents.

Siobhan Wallace, acting Manager of the DPF explained: 'There has always been a desire within the community to set up the gardens again. We held a meeting in December 08 and were surprised by the level of interest. That gave us the impetus to move forward.'

She added: 'The timing is right for this sort of thing. Allotments are the flavour of the month. With the worsening economy people want to grow their own natural food locally. They want to source cheap food and there is no better way than growing your own. We don"t use pesticides or herbicides and it"s right on our doorstep.'

The DPF run an "Investing in Your Health" Project which Siobhan feels ties in nicely with the allotments.

'The gym doesn"t suit everybody. Being outside in the fresh air digging and weeding is a great pick me up and it is relaxing exercise. Plus it is nutritional food which is being prepared to a budget.'

'It"s a work in progress,' said Josie Maguire, Chairperson of the DPF.

Josie is very passionate about the allotments which she says are a 'marvellous' asset to the community. While residents from the DPF"s four main estates are initially invited to join the community allotments, there may be scope for other people without access to gardens to apply for a plot.

'There is a lot of weeding to be done and during the summer we hope to get the Council"s help to pave the pathways. We also plan to create a few raised beds, a herb garden and have an easy access plot to be used by people with disabilities,' Josie explained.

Michael Donnelly, a local resident found himself victim of the economic downturn and was made redundant. He found solace in the allotments where he worked hard to weed the area and install chicken wire to keep rabbits away from the precious vegetables.

'It"s great to come down and talk to other members of the community over their plots and compare what you are growing.'

Referring to the allotments, a spokesman for the DSD said: 'Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie MLA allocated almost £19,000 to re-launch a community allotment scheme in Kilmacormick, Enniskillen.

'This community led scheme will provide local families with an opportunity to grow fresh food in a secure area. It is hoped that this will also promote improvement in physical and mental health through energetic activity. Another aim of the project is to help pull together the local community within the area'

Margaret Ritchie said: 'I am pleased to support this allotment scheme in the Enniskillen Neighbourhood Renewal Area. It demonstrates my commitment to tackling deprivation and closing the gap between those who live in disadvantaged areas and those who do not.

'This type of scheme helps to strengthen resident"s pride of place and sense of belonging. The allotment scheme will be an asset for local residents and increase community spirit within the area.'

To apply for a plot contact Siobhan Wallace on 02866328866 whereupon your application will be put to the allotment committee for consideration. A fee of £30 per year is charged for water bills and horse manure which was purchased by the DPF.