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April 2025 | Phonebox Magazine 55Club of the Month: Olney Allotment Holders Association (OAHA)Where can you fi nd community blooming and fresh produce thriving in the heart of Olney? Down at the allotments, of course.OAHA are a vibrant community of allotment holders who come together to enjoy the fresh air and the joys and challenges of tending an allotment. Their base is the OAHA HQ cabin, in the Olney allotments, just a short walk from the Market Place.The group%u2019s doors are open to everyone, including non-members. You can fi nd them every Saturday from 10am to 12pm, March through to November, at the HQ cabin. Feel free to drop by for a hot drink, some biscuits, and a friendly chat.The association has been instrumental in several projects, including the community allotment, which offers small spaces for those who might be daunted by a full plot or have physical challenges.They also initiated the Amazing Grace Community Orchard, commemorating Olney%u2019s cultural heritage while providing educational and environmental benefi ts.The current project for 2025 is to create a wildlife pond on the allotments to boost biodiversity. The project is funded by Olney Town Council.Joining the association comes with many benefi ts beyond the social aspects. These include affi liate membership with The National Allotment Society, which provides insurance coverage for your allotment and discounts on seeds, manure, and compost.If you would like to learn more about the joy of working an allotment, go down, have a chat, and see if it%u2019s for you! You can also get in touch with the Olney Allotment Holders Association (OAHA) by email: oahaolney@gmail.com or follow them on Facebook at Olney Allotments (Olney Allotment Holders Association).Olney Open Gardens: The fi nal push for more Olney gardensCalling Olney Gardeners!!Olney Open Gardens Event on Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th June%u00a0 from 12-4 is going to be bigger and better than ever.%u00a0 We%u2019ve got Morris Dancers at Carlton House, teas at the Sutcliff e Baptist Church, Prosecco in one of the gardens, a wonderful raffl e in the Market Place and over 20 generous business sponsors. We%u2019d love a few more gardens, and understand that some people are a bit nervous about saying they%u2019ll participate, so we interviewed one of the people who opened their gardens last time. This is what they said.Q. Were you worried about opening your garden?To be honest, I was! I thought it needed to be perfect %u2013 with no weeds and no beds that needed attention and my garden never looks like anything other than a work in progress. But I know how much Willen needs the money and how many friends and relatives have benefi tted from their care, so I decided to bite the bullet and we agreed to open up for both days.Q. And how did it work out?I needn%u2019t have worried! Everyone who came said something nice about what they%u2019d seen and the garden didn%u2019t actually look its absolute best. But lots of people seemed to really enjoy looking around. A couple of people asked me technical questions about some of the plants, but I didn%u2019t know the answers, so we had a laugh, and they subsequently came back to me to tell me what I%u2019d planted!%u00a0Q. Didn%u2019t too many people come? Your garden is not huge, how did you fi t them all in?Somehow there was a steady fl ow of people between 12-4 pm, and no, we never had more than 10 people at a time; people%u00a0mostly arrived in twos and threes and spent about 15 minutes looking around, and said something nice and then went onto the next garden. We really enjoyed the event and need not have worried about it at all.Q. Would you do it again?%u00a0Absolutely! We%u2019ve agreed to open in June this year. I know that the event raised over %u00a38,000 for Willen last time, and we need this hospice! The Willen at Home service receives no money whatsoever from the NHS or the government, so we know the people of Olney will help. It%u2019s such a great town and the people who live here are wonderful.We have already recruited some lovely gardens and are well on our way. Now, with the warmer weather, hopefully, this is motivating you to join our lovely event. Your garden does not have to be perfect. This year%u2019s event will concentrate on gardens on High Steet, West Street, East Street, Coneygere, etc., within close proximity to the town to make it easier for people to walk between the gardens.Please consider your garden to be included and support us with this worthy cause. Email%u00a0marihelen.esam@willen-hospice.org.uk%u00a0- Willen Board Member or visit our Facebook page Olney Open Gardens 2025.