Family Health

Hitchin Youth Allotment (HiYA) is a youth project where children grow fruit and vegetables, learn gardening skills and get involved in a really hands on way.

The children sow seeds, take cuttings, plant out, tend the plants, keep the plot in good shape, harvest, cook and eat the produce.

Extra activities include a sunflower growing competition and growing pumpkins for the Pirton Pumpkin Show. The project's latest venture is making donations to the Luton Red Cross food bank.

We aim to:

encourage healthy eating and a healthy attitude to food
connect young people with outdoors, the environment and with wider society by linking up with other local good causes
build the children's confidence and have a positive knock on to their school and academic life
we love supporting children with special educational needs, with both severe and moderate learning difficulties, but we connect with all children who are interested.
HiYA runs on an entirely voluntary basis. This year we have over 280 children involved and over 350 have been involved over the past couple of years. The age range is 5 to 15. We are linked up to the Priory School and eight of Hitchin's Guide and Brownie groups.