Portland 4 the Planet (subgrupo de Weymouth and Portland Transition Town)

Portland 4 the Planet is a sub group of Transition Town Weymouth and Portland in Dorset, UK. Founded in 2019 by Olympic sailor, Laura Baldwin, Portland 4 the Planet hosted people’s assemblies to harvest solutions we could embrace to the climate and nature issues that we face. The outcomes became Portland 4 the Planet’s action list and we set to it, hosting an eco fair, talks, planting 3000 trees, establishing community allotments, organising clothes swaps, establishing a Community Fridge and Lottie Larder.

In 2024 the group expanded the allotment more than twice the size with help each week from the asylum seekers aboard the Bibby Stockholm barge. This project helped to connect a fractured community and was positive for all. This expansion was funded by Transition Seed Funding.

Also in 2024 the ‘Lottie Larder’ (an attractive looking shed) was set up and ran throughout June-October. On Saturday mornings, all allotment holders and garden food growers were invited to join together to swap, gift and or receive; seeds, seedlings, produce, knowledge and have a cuppa and a chat helping to connect people and form friendships.

In 2025 the Portland CommUnity Allotment – at The Grove continued, lead by volunteer, Laura Baldwin, running 2 sessions a week, Tuesdays 12-1pm for the adults and new this year was a kids allotment that saw 17 homeschoolers transform a new council held plot into a wonderful kids gardening zone across 17 weekly sessions. Plus we ran sessions for different groups including youngsters through the Scouts, a group of people with Down syndrome through The Muntsy’s Group, the Portland Permaculture Group and we hosted the Transition Town Weymouth and Portland AGM.

2026 – we are expanding again! This year the Kids Allotment will landscaped space more than twice the size with a pre-school zone, a sunflower circle, more raised beds, nooks for craft, reading and if we can secure funding we would love a sturdy polly tunnel to enable all weather sessions, a big picnic bench, potting shed, more tools, kids size wheelbarrows, seeds and water storage.

The Portland CommUnity Allotment is well established with 15 regulars who meet weekly together for an hour or so of gardening followed by a Lottie Lunch and another 15 people that come sometimes. People pop in between times as and when they like. 10 raised beds are personally held by individuals and couples and the rest of the space is shared. Everyone helps with watering over the summer months. The social space is enjoyed by other groups. There is just one last corner to landscape and install a compost toilet once funding is gained. We are pleased that this is a multicultural space with people from 7 different Countries regularly attending.

The Lottie Larder growing plot and shed is going to be a youth project this season for secondary school ages 11-16yrs, hopefully we will secure funding to enable us to provide them with a free healthy dinner after a gardening session, all at no cost. The Lottie Larder shed will be opened once a week through the months when harvests are abundant to share the food with the community.

The Allotment Working Bees – new for 2026 – a group made up of people on the allotment waiting list and from within the wider community that wish to connect with others, do some gardening and socialise. Great for mental and physical wellbeing and with a healthy lunch provided, all at no cost to participants. This group will help allotment holders tend to their plots often doing the more physical work. And transform the wide edges of the public path into an attractive corridor of flowers and plants with benches making space for people to relax, socialise and enjoy the attractive space created for nature.