Ards Mayor Visits Bangor Allotments

Ards Mayor Visits Bangor Allotment Ahead of National Allotments Week (7-13 August)

Ards Mayor Visits Bangor Allotment Ahead of National Allotments Week (7-13 August)

The Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Jennifer Gilmour, visited an allotment at Bangor’s Bryansburn Road ahead of National Allotments Week (7-13 August).

The BBC’s David Maxwell was also in attendance and interviewed allotment holders, Tony Stevenson and Frances Gawn, for the popular Gardeners’ Corner programme. The interview aired on BBC Radio Ulster on Saturday 5 August.

Back row: David Maxwell (BBC Gardeners’ Corner) and Tony Stephenson (Chair of allotment committee) Front row: Frances Gawn (Member of committee) and the Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Jennifer Gilmour. (Photos by Simon Graham).

The theme for this year’s National Allotments Week is ‘soil health’. Good soil health is widely accepted as way to improve yield but also contributes positively to biodiversity and the environment as the world faces more climate challenges.

The Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Jennifer Gilmour, said:

“National Allotments Week helps to inform and educate gardeners about the benefit of caring for the soil and the creatures that inhabit it.

“It provides a great opportunity to raise awareness so I was delighted to have the opportunity to visit the Bangor allotment and speak to some of the very enthusiastic allotment owners.”

Allotment holders Billy Steele and John Lowry.

The BBC’s Gardeners’ Corner programme that features some of Bangor’s allotment owners is available for download until the end of the month. To listen, visit the BBC’s website at:

bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001pdd0