The Vassall Centre - Goffenton Allotments

Providing supported training & employment for disabled people in Bristol — using the creativity of gardening, growing and beyond…

Our goal is to provide a safe and supportive environment while teaching the trainee the skills they need to find continued, paid, sustainable and rewarding employment.

Our mission is to offer supported employment and training opportunities for people with disabilities who are often disadvantaged when searching for work.

25 GoodGymers have supported The Vassall Centre - Goffenton Allotments with 4 tasks.


Top supporters
Bristol runner
Melanie Young
Melanie Young (she/her)
Islington runner

Previous sessions
BristolCommunity mission
Jayde PerkinAlice DalrympleVaguelyNorthernDarrenNathalie LeviMartha PriceJulie M

An entrenched need to do a good deed

Tuesday 13th April 2021

Written by Alice Dalrymple

It was fantastic to be back at the Goffenten allotments this evening. Our task was to dig around some flower beds, remove the tarpaulin underneath the earth and load the mud from the sides into the plots. Simples. Simples especially when you have mine and Darren's super strength 💪 Jayde also almost dug a tunnel to France before we noticed her trench was doubly as deep as the rest of us (super digger!).

We also had a chance to admire our previous work as the pond and poly tunnel were looking brilliant 👌

Look forward to returning again in the future especially as we now all know the way there which in itself is a miracle.

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BristolCommunity mission
+5
Lisa ElliottCaroline Thomas
Paul BeckerJulie MEmma R

Look at the Allotment of forks we give

Saturday 30th March 2019

Written by Danica Priest (She/her)

5 adventurous runners and one cyclist met at Muddock and headed out on a 5 mile run to Goffenten allotments. It was a sunny spring day and the run along the Frome river was adorned with colourful flowers and happy people enjoying the sunshine.

We made it to the allotments exactly at 11:30 and met the rest of the group. We had the pleasure of seeing Caroline Thomas who is usually at Sheffield these days. She has lots of fun catheter facts to share with us throughout the afternoon.

Our lovely task host and her adorable son showed us the tools and the plot of land they needed clearing for flower planting therapy. The group of GoodGymers worked hard creating a lovely dirt flower bed and saving all the worms in the process. Paul even uncovered a bunch of potatoes that he took back with him and had for breakfast.

Time flew by in the warm weather and before we knew it it was time for the runners to make their way back along the 8km path to muddock making it over 10 miles total. Before we left we took a group photo in front of a flowering tree and Paul even had his own photo shoot with a wheelbarrow😂

Thanks everyone who came along we did a lot of work in a short amount of time! Also thanks to Rich G who helped me figure out that I wasn't seeing the run report writing option because my screen was vertical

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BristolCommunity mission
Alice Dalrymple
Melanie YoungRichard Breakspear

Mel-vellous Ter-Rich-ing at the Al-lotments

Saturday 9th March 2019

Written by Richard Breakspear

Rich, Rich, Al, Al and Mel ran to help with clearing and preparing an overgrown allotment for the nearby Vassall Centre. The centre helps to break the barriers that confront disabled people, and plan to use the land to grow their own produce for use in the centre’s cafe.

Tasks today included pond-hole digging, path levelling, water fetching and clearing the soil of roots and stones ready for the veg beds.

Light work was made of the pond digging. Rich got in the hole whilst Rich saw the whole thing from the side. Al-ison root-ed for them whilst Al-ice remained unper-spaded. Nonetheless the team sub-mitted themselves to the task until sub-soil was reached and subs-tenance was then had.

After a Jaffa (cake) the team were happy they’d made the earth move, so Rich and Al pulled a cracker and made the (rain) water move. Mel, Rich and Al levelled, de-rooted and de-stoned the ground ready for the laying out of paths and beds.

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BristolCommunity mission
+6
Christopher LewisMelanie YoungRichard BreakspearTom TannerEmma R

Binders keepers

Sunday 17th February 2019

Written by Alice Dalrymple

The creative opportunities team, based at the Vassall centre give people of all ages (with additional needs) the chance to get involved with gardening and cooking activities and they use the produce they grow at the allotment in their community kitchen. They own a large section of the Goffenten allotments which is nearby their base and they needed some extra help to prepare for the spring.

Much to our joy, on arrival, Corinna gave us a tour of their allotment which included a table laden with tea, coffee and biscuits and a shed full of tools. Goodgym gold! We set to work over turning a large area of earth and pulling out bind weeds as we went. Along the way we found a shoe, lots of worms, some GIANT roots and possibly a bullet case(?!) The area is being prepared for planting and a pond area which they are hoping to install later this year.

After an hour or so of digging, the sun came out and it was declared tea and biscuit time. Corinna would love for us to come back on future weekends as there is lots of work to be done, so watch this space! :-) After refuelling and a group photo, we headed off on our separate ways. Thanks for a great afternoon all and esp. to the running crew as we managed the whole 10 miles and were still smiling at the end (just about) and to Chris for the excellent pun.

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