There are many ways you can join in and get your hands dirty!
Volunteer
We have Maintenance Mornings on the first Saturday of the month, where anyone can come and help with communal tasks, from mowing paths, to trimming hedges or sorting communal sheds. They're a great opportunity to get some fresh air with people who are passionate about gardening - and to be part of our community.
We start at 10am and have a coffee break mid-morning (cake provided). We finish with a free barbecue lunch at 1pm, which is our way of saying thanks for your help.
We provide the tools and gloves but we recommend you wear wellingtons or sturdy shoes.
If you'd like to come along, please email us at volunteering@ealingdean.co.uk in advance so we know to expect you.
Join the waiting list
We welcome interested growers who would like to join our friendly community. Demand is currently high and we have a long waiting list. We operate on a strict first come, first served basis.
To join our waiting list please complete our online application form by clicking here. Note that we accept one application per household, and you must live in the Borough of Ealing.
How the waiting list works
There are around 170 plots on the allotment site. Many are half plots, which are about 8m x 16m.
When you are near the top of our waiting list, you will be offered a starter bed on a Gardening Club plot. An allotment is a big commitment and we've found this is the most helpful way for you to get to grips with allotment life and discover whether you have the time to maintain a plot.
Those who demonstrate commitment to their starter plots - and who contribute to the wider allotment community - are offered half plots as and when they become available.
Gardening Club
We have 25 Gardening Club plots, clustered in small groups across the site. This means you'll be alongside a few fellow new-starters and have 'old hands' nearby you can turn to for advice.
The Gardening Club is run by the Ealing Dean Allotment Society, with a specific tenancy agreement. You can download it as a PDF below:
- Gardening Club plots are regularly checked by the committee to ensure they meet cultivation standards outlined in the tenancy agreement.
- The communal areas of the site need to be maintained and belong to all of us. Gardening Club members are required to attend three maintenance mornings a year, or make an equivalent contribution such as getting involved in our events.
- As Gardening Club plots are temporary, we expect you to focus on annual plants. We find people tend to only be on a Gardening Club plot for up to a year before they move up to a standard plot, or decide it's not for them.
- The cost of a Gardening Club plot is £30 per year, plus a small returnable deposit for a gate key.
Other allotment sites
If you live near Northfields Allotments, Blondin and Haslemere are the closest alternatives. The Ealing Allotments Partnership website contains details of all the allotment sites in the Borough of Ealing.