New Growing Hub Opens at Berries Field Park Oldham

A new community growing hub has opened at Berries Field Park in Chadderton, giving Oldham residents a place to cultivate their own vegetables, herbs and fruit. The idea came directly from local women who told councillors they had nowhere safe to grow food, and the council responded by carving out a corner of the already popular park.

More than £38,000 has been spent on the site, plus extra materials and labour donated by local firms. Wright Landscapes built the beds, Faber Joinery supplied timber and Rose Scaffolding provided metalwork, while Lester Cladding, Bretton Architectural, Carters Electrical and Keith Walton added cash. Willmott Dixon staff clocked up 140 volunteer hours to finish the polytunnel, fencing and raised planters, all linked by level paths so wheelchairs and pushchairs can reach every row.

Cllr Abdul Jabbar, who holds the finance and sustainability brief, commissioned the project alongside the wider Northern Roots scheme. He says the patch is meant as much for neighbourliness as for lettuce: people who have never gardened before can learn from each other and take home fresh produce. The hub is now open to all; no prior plot experience or membership fee is required.