'I used my back garden to help others after job loss'
A man who started growing food in his back garden to help people in need hopes to "inspire people to do the same".Christopher Jones began growing food after losing his job as a security guard at the start of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020."I'd lost everything in lockdown. I had no jobs, I had nothing."I was struggling financially and I thought, well, I've got a big garden - I'll turn it into a bit of an allotment.
"I was constantly studying on YouTube, I don't read books because I'm dyslexic but I can watch the video tutorials and learn from that."
Mr Jones has since given his produce to people in Halton, Cheshire, via food banks, boxes set up on streets and through social media."In 2025, people shouldn't be going hungry and if an avid gardener could plant a couple of vegetables that would feed their family, but then any surplus could be donated to a food bank or a charity, then together we could make a massive difference."After years of being on a waiting list for an allotment, he was given one in 2024 and, following media coverage of his work, Halton Borough Council offered him another allotment so he could grow more for residents who were struggling.Members of the local community and others interested in his work have rallied to fundraise for the allotments and he is now hoping to buy more durable tools.
He has set up a TikTok account called Mr Allotment to record his progress and maintain transparency and hopes it can inspire others."I've been asked to do things with schools, but at the minute because I'm doing everything on my own… it takes time away from me growing food for people in need."If a teacher wants to tune into my TikTok, ask questions, watch videos, watch the lives, they could learn and put it into fruition for themselves."Spending about 8-14 hours per day in the garden or allotments, he says he would "love to be able to do it as full-time but I've still got to work"."It's not an obsession - to me it is just like a general purpose."I just feel like if I'm able to help other people and if anyone's able to help other people, then they should try at least."
Read more stories from Cheshire on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
40 minutes ago
- The Independent
Man behind King's cypher to be made MBE says work he does was ‘anonymous'
The man behind the King's cypher who is being made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) has said the work he does has traditionally been anonymous. Tim Noad, a heraldic designer, said he was 'absolutely delighted' and 'immensely proud' when he received a letter containing the news of his honour, franked with his own design. Mr Noad is becoming an MBE for services to calligraphy, heraldry and design in the King's Birthday Honours. The 58-year-old, of west London, told the PA news agency: 'My name is quite often not associated with the work I've done and I think that is only becoming more regular these days, but I think in the past, traditionally, the kind of work that I do was anonymous really.' Mr Noad, who has worked at the College of Arms for 39 years, was chosen to submit 10 cypher designs for the King to choose his preferred monogram. The designer tried out a range of different styles when putting forward his works. 'I wanted to try out different fonts, so I tried out some that were more cursive and italic, and some that were more flowing and elaborate,' he said. 'And then also the Roman style, which was the style that was used for the previous Queen and that was the style that was eventually chosen.' Mr Noad feared he might not get so many opportunities in heraldry after Queen Elizabeth II died. He said: 'As it's turned out, it's been like a whole new world of designing and wonderful commissions for me.' Mr Noad's interest in heraldry goes back to his childhood, when he joined his local heraldry society aged 12 and started going to art classes with a College of Arms artist. Mr Noad then studied calligraphy, heraldry and illumination at Reigate College before getting a job at the College of Arms. As well as working at the college, the designer does freelance work and runs heraldry courses. He has also run workshops and classes with children and young people in the hope of passing the lesser-known trade on to the next generation. Mr Noad designed the Stole Royal which the King wore at his coronation. He also created the late Queen's golden, diamond and platinum jubilee medals and designed the elaborate and intricately penned 'instrument of consent' from the Queen that formally approved the marriage of William and Kate, now the Prince and Princess of Wales, in 2011. Asked what he is most proudest, Mr Noad said it 'would have to be the royal cypher'. 'I never imagined, even when I designed it, I'd see it so widely reproduced,' he said. 'I suppose it's become very distinctive, almost sort of iconic. It sort of symbolises the King. Yes, that will go down in history for forever.'
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Killer sudoku 974
Click here to access the print version. Normal sudoku rules apply, except the numbers in the cells contained within dotted lines add up to the figures in the corner. No number can be repeated within each shape formed by dotted lines. To see the completed puzzle, buy the next issue of the Guardian (for puzzles published Monday to Thursday). Solutions to Friday and Saturday puzzles are given in either Saturday's or Monday's edition.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
UK's biggest-ever lottery jackpot rolls over again after no EuroMillions win
The UK's biggest-ever lottery prize is still up for grabs after no one won Friday's (13 June) EuroMillions draw. Tuesday's jackpot is expected to reach around £208 million, which would make it the largest prize ever awarded in the UK, National Lottery operator Allwyn said. The total prize money has now been capped, meaning prize pots in the next winning tier will be boosted. Once it has reached its cap, and if there is no winner, it stays at this value for a further four draws until it must be won in the fifth draw. This will be on 20 June. In the Must Be Won draw, if no ticket matches all five main numbers and two Lucky Stars, the entire jackpot prize will roll down into the prize tier where there is at least one winner – likely to be five main numbers and one Lucky Star. Andy Carter, senior winners' adviser at Allwyn, said: 'A win of this magnitude would create the biggest National Lottery winner this country has ever seen. 'Get your tickets early to ensure you're in with a chance of a massive life-changing win.' He added: 'The EuroMillions jackpot is now capped, so any money that would have gone into increasing the jackpot now boosts prizes in the next winning prize tier, meaning that we're seeing multiple UK players banking huge prizes for matching just the five main numbers and one Lucky Star.' In Friday's draw, five UK players became millionaires after matching five main numbers and one Lucky Star, winning £3.61 million each. The main EuroMillions winning numbers were 02, 28, 40, 43, 45 and the lucky stars were 03 and 07. It also saw 13 UK millionaires made through a special EuroMillions UK Millionaire Maker event. 'Contrary to superstition, Friday the 13th has proven the luckiest date in the calendar for these lucky UK players,' Mr Carter said. 'All UK EuroMillions players should check their tickets and contact us if they believe they are one of tonight's lucky winners.' No players won the £1 million HotPicks jackpot – which uses the same numbers as the EuroMillions draw. No players won the £500,000 Thunderball jackpot either. The five Thunderball numbers were 01, 02, 24, 33, 39 and the Thunderball number was 13. Here are the 10 biggest UK lottery wins to date – all from EuroMillions draws: Anonymous, £195,707,000, 19 July 2022 Joe and Jess Thwaite, £184,262,899.10, 10 May 2022 Anonymous, £177,033,699.20, 26 November 2024 Anonymous, £171,815,297.80, 23 September 2022 Anonymous, £170,221,000, 8 October 2019 Colin and Chris Weir, £161,653,000, 12 July 2011 Adrian and Gillian Bayford, £148,656,000, 10 August 2012 Anonymous, £123,458,008, 11 June 2019 Anonymous, £122,550,350, April 2021 Anonymous, £121,328,187, April 2018
