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Families in one of the most deprived areas of the city are being given the chance to develop green fingers, grow their own produce and start cultivating a healthier diet.

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And thanks to the efforts of a team of volunteers, several disused plots on Meanwood Valley Urban Farm have now been transformed into perfectly-manicured growing zones.

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Maureen Lillywhite, community development worker, said: "The allotments are brilliant because we can show families how to grow their own fruit and veg and not only that, we can show them how to cook it at the end, so it comes full circle, and the children will know how to grow it, or at least know where it comes from."

She added: "I just think it's going to make a huge difference for families."

The project is run by Zest – Health for Life, which aims to help people in disadvantaged neighbourhoods lead a healthier lifestyle.

Through the social enterprise scheme Leeds Ahead, around 15 workers from Leeds City

Council's IT department tackled the back-breaking task of digging up the old grassed-over area and turning three overgrown plots into five, family-friendly zones, complete with raised beds.
Classes

NHS Leeds commissioned Zest to work in Meanwood around a year ago to increase community interaction, get people out of their homes and bring a slice of healthy living to the area, with activity classes and clubs.

Maureen said there had been a huge amount of interest in the scheme.
She said: "Families don't want these huge plots that you have to spend all week digging, these are more manageable sizes and they can take the kids down and they can reach in and dig."

A similar project has running in Osmondthorpe, Leeds, for nearly a year and is such a hit Zest decided to do the same in Meanwood.