This funding has assisted the venture to buy tools, trees, fencing and gates.
Will Liddell, the owner and a former GP, stated his gratitude towards both the REPF grant and the Test Valley Borough Council’s support saying how he “could not have taken the risk to do this project without it”.
Will is also a member of the Andover Food Partnership and has ambitions to use the garden as a space for community learning and wellbeing. In time, he hopes to launch a gardening club and host educational visits for local schoolchildren to learn about food production and sustainability.
He holds a passion for locally grown and sold food due to it being more sustainable compared to imported produce as his garden will supply fruit and vegetables to local restaurants and village shops.
Cllr Alison Johnston said that the Westover Market Garden was “not just about growing food – it’s about growing community, education and wellbeing too.”
The UK Government’s REPF helps in providing capital funding for rural communities and businesses.
TVBC received over half a million pounds by the end of this March, which has then been distributed to help develop our rural economy.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund aims to improve sense of belonging and increase quality of life across the UK through investments in communities, supporting local businesses , people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus
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