Q: I have an allotment with surplus veg, how can I donate it to Abundance Manchester?
A: We currently collect surplus veg from Southern Cemetry Allotments and Bradley Fold, please ask at your allotment meeting / see our poster and leave veg in the collection box. If you have an allotment elsewhere we would be happy for you to drop off surplus veg at our plot, but please contact us beforehand and bear in mind we can only pick up on Sundays.
Q: When and where are you fruit picking sessions?
A: Please join our mailing list to receive weekly times and locations, but we usually meet at noon on Saturdays during the picking season (Aug – Oct).
Q: I have a fruit tree with surplus fruit, how do I donate it to Abundance?
A: Please see our ‘Got a fruit tree’ page. After you get in touch with us we will arrange a time (on a Saturday) to pick.
Q: How can I get involved with organising / coordinating Abundance Manchester activities?
A: We have coordinator roles for fruit picking and the plot sessions, and are always looking for more people to get involved! In addition to the volunteer sessions we also meet regularly to organise events / developments within our group. If you would like to get involved, please come along to some of the plot / fruit picking volunteer sessions or get in touch with us.
Q: Do you organise activities for children, and can children come on fruit pickings?
A: For fruit picking and plot sessions, we would ask that everyone under the age of 18 is accompanied by a parent or guardian to comply with our Child Protection Policy. We do sometimes do fruit juicing at various events, and also for these we would need children to be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times.
Q: Do you organise any other activities / events / courses?
A: Yes, we have put on pruning, grafting, and bike maintenance courses in the past as an event on how to set up an abundance group, and may do more in the future – keep an eye on this website!
Q: Do you deliver to community groups outside of South Manchester?
A: Unfortunately we do not, but please get in touch with the new group being set up in Trafford by emailing abundancetrafford@gmail.com
and see the groups on our Blogroll on the right. If none of these are in your area, you can always try directly getting in touch with an orchard / food grower near you to see if they have any surplus.
Q: Can individuals receive fruit and veg through abundance?
A: No, but ask around and you may be able to get some from neighbours / friends. Also look out for community and open access orchards in your area.
Q: I am not in South Manchester, how do I find out about other groups?
A: We recently ran a workshop on how to set up an Abundance group, which has resulted in groups being set up in Trafford and Gorton, to get involved with the Trafford group email; abundancetrafford@gmail.com.
If you are not in these areas there might already be an abundance group where you are, just take a look at the list of groups on the Blogroll on the panel on the right.
Q: Why do you only cover South Manchester?
A: We are volunteer run and would prefer to operate well within a defined area rather than spread ourselves too thin. Keeping things small scale also means that we can distribute most of our fruit and veg with bikes and bike trailers. We would like to encourage other group being set up outside of South Manchester, rather than expand our existing group over a larger area.
Q: There is no Abundance group in my area, how do I set one up and can Abundance Manchester offer any support?
A: For help with starting an abundance project, please see our toolkit and the Sheffield Abundance Handbook. A project can start with something as simple as a few fruit pickings or linking up one food grower with surplus food to a community group.
Please also look through the comments on this website; people have posted to say they are interested in setting up groups in areas including East Sussex, Hartingey (North London), Conwy (North Wales), and Surrey. We have also had requests from people to pick / donate fruit in areas including Merseyside, Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Longsight, so there is a definite need for this kind or group!
Abundance Manchester is happy to help you if you have further questions about setting up which are not covered in the toolkit or the handbook. If you are in or near Greater Manchester we may also be able to arrange a meeting.
Q: Is there a national organisation for Abundance?
A: Abundance-type groups exist around the country, but are all run autonomously. There are many similarities between the different groups and we do try to share experiences and learn from each other, but there is no national co-ordination.
