Petrus Incredible Edible Rochdale (PIER) is our award-winning community allotment on Belfield Road in Rochdale.
PIER is a beautiful, relaxing and therapeutic piece of land that grows fruit and vegetables. It connects people from all walks of life, and is a space where we:
- Create friendships
- Build confidence
- Learn new skills
- Get a bit muddy
- Have a cuppa
- Listen to the birds
- And BELONG
The allotment is open to the public and hosts a range of events throughout the year that are open to everyone. We represent Rochdale in the Incredible Edible Network and are part of Rochdale in Bloom. We share their vision of creating friendships, and kind, confident and connected communities through the power of gardening.
Green Social Prescribing at PIER
PIER offers a gardening on prescription service that can be accessed via self-referral or referrals from health services and other support services.
Social Prescribing connects people to activities, groups, and services in their community to meet the practical, social and emotional needs that affect their health and wellbeing.
Our offer includes:
- Gardening
- Arts and Crafts
- Walking groups
- Cooking and sharing meals together
Social prescribing can reduce pressure on the NHS by reducing GP appointments, hospital admissions and A&E visits. Studies suggest that social prescribing schemes can deliver between £2.14 and £8.56 of social value for every £1 invested.
How PIER helps people
Time spent in nature is linked to a range of positive mental and physical health outcomes such as:
Improved physical health
Gardening has been proven to help reduce blood pressure, stress levels, risk of diabetes and other associated health conditions.
Improved mental health
Engaging in community projects reduces social isolation and create connections that boost happiness, resilience and overall wellbeing.
When offered alongside therapeutic and mindfulness activities, gardening can reduce symptoms of PTSD and ADHD. These conditions are common among the homeless and vulnerable people we support.
Wellbeing Workshops
Enjoy a unique and rejuvenating experience with your workplace or community group at PIER!
Our Wellbeing Workshops are designed to help you connect with nature and engage in fun and exciting activities that promote mental and physical wellbeing.
Through a variety of immersive activities you’ll will be able to unwind, develop new skills, and build stronger relationships, and leaving feeling refreshed, connected, and motivated.
At PIER, we are led by our community, tailoring our activities to their interests and needs. Your time at PIER will be no different! We’ll work with you to create your perfect experience, with half or full day options that offer the perfect blend of creativity, learning, and wellbeing.
Explore our packages here (this link will open in a new tab and take you away from our website).
A taste of PIER...
Three things that unite us!
We all need a place where we belong, for many that place is our community garden PIER.
At PIER we grow a range of fruits, veggies, flowers and herbs, and we love to get together and taste what we’ve grown! Volunteers love to take home freshly harvested ingredients and bring back dishes to share together.
Why not try out Shamshad’s Pakora Recipe for a taste of PIER?
Ingredients:
- 1 onion diced
- 3 medium potatoes diced
- 3-4 tablespoons gram flour
- Half teaspoon coarsely ground coriander seeds
- Half teaspoon cumin seeds
- Half a teaspoon salt
- Half teaspoon chilli powder
- Handful of chopped coriander
Method
- Mix all ingredients with little water to a thick consistency.
- Heat oil to a medium heat in a deep pan.
- Carefully drop a spoonful of the pakora mix and fry until light brown.
Tip! Don’t let the oil get too hot, the pakoras will brown very quickly and not cook properly if this happens.
What have you got in your garden? Why not mix it up and add chopped spinach, cauliflower, aubergine or cabbage to your mixture!
Showcasing PIER at the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show
Petrus has designed and built incredible gardens at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park since 2019. Each garden been coproduced by service users, volunteers and staff from PIER, conveying messages about the importance of community gardening and food growing.
We do this to showcase what people can achieve when they are empowered, trusted, and believed in.
You can read about our gardens past and present at PIER at Tatton Park here.
Can you help us?
We rely on grant funding and donations to run this service. If you would like to donate, please visit our Enthuse Page here.
The impact of your donations:
£50 can provide all-weather clothing for two people to join nature-based wellbeing activities
£100 can fund a week of wellbeing group activities
£400 can fund a month of wellbeing group activities
£4800 can fund a year of wellbeing group activities
Make Petrus your Charity of the Year
Giving to charity is proven to boost office moral! When you choose us as your charity of the year, we’ll help you put the fun in fundraising, creating lots of opportunities for your staff to get involved in giving back, volunteer at PIER and more!
Please contact petrus@petrus.org.uk for more information.