Summer 2026
ABUNDANCE CONNECTION COMMUNITY
By summer, everything we had planted during spring was beginning to grow.
Our gardens and the allotment were fuller, the days were longer and Thriving with the Seasons moved into a season of abundance. Across Darwen and Blackburn, people came together to grow, forage, cook, learn about bees and pollinators, practise mindfulness, move their bodies and, perhaps most importantly, spend time with other people.
Summer reminded us that seasonal living isn't simply about what grows in the ground. It is also about what grows between people.
Across the season we delivered 20 activities and recorded 228 attendances. Our Wellbeing Wednesdays became a regular community gathering, Growing Thursdays continued at Buddees, and people joined us for seasonal cooking, foraging, bee activities and opportunities to reconnect with the natural world.
But behind those numbers are the conversations, recipes, memories and bits of knowledge that people brought with them.
Someone remembers how their mum cooked something. Someone else knows what their grandad grew. Somebody recognises a plant from childhood. Another person shares a way of preserving food, dealing with garden pests or using up what was available rather than throwing it away.
This is the heritage we want to preserve.
Not heritage locked away in a museum, but living heritage, carried in people, kitchens, gardens, allotments, memories and everyday ways of doing things.
Summer in numbers
20 activities delivered
228 attendances
100% of survey respondents said they had increased their skills and knowledge
100% met new people
93% felt more connected to their community
93% felt more connected to nature
100% felt more able to cope
The wellbeing results were particularly encouraging. Average life satisfaction increased from 5.09 to 7.86, while average PHQ-8 scores reduced from 10.35 to 5.07.
These numbers matter, but the stories underneath them tell us even more
Growing Thursdays: growing food, knowledge and memories
Thursdays
Summer at the allotment was about learning practical growing skills, spending time outdoors and sharing knowledge with other people.
Across the Summer period, Growing Thursdays generated 42 attendances across eight sessions, giving people a regular space to learn, grow and connect.
The wider Summer survey also showed that people who took part in nature, food, growing or bee-related activities reported strong outcomes around confidence, nature connection, environmental awareness, seasonal knowledge and belonging.
One of the most interesting stories came from Lesley, who noticed an unexpected physical change while taking part in the growing sessions.
“I’m really enjoying the growing sessions at the allotment. However, an unexpected benefit when I did my Boditrax scan at the gym is that I have put on 1.6 kg of muscle mass since going. My previous scan was on 19 February and current 24 June. I haven’t changed anything else diet or exercise wise.”
Her Boditrax results also showed a 2.1 kg reduction in fat mass over the same period.
We cannot say that the growing sessions caused these changes, but Lesley’s experience is a lovely example of how gardening can involve much more physical activity than people sometimes realise. Digging, lifting, carrying, bending, reaching and working outdoors all involve the body.
Growing Thursdays also created opportunities for people to exchange practical knowledge about planting, harvesting, pests, seasonal food and what works in their own gardens.
That informal sharing is an important part of the project too. A lot of growing knowledge has traditionally been passed between families, neighbours and allotment holders simply by working alongside one another.
Recipes & seasonal food
Pams Redcurrant jelly
Pams Redcurrant jelly
Pams Redcurrant jelly
A traditional way of preserving the abundance of summer fruit.
Makes approximately 3.25 kg / 7 lb
Ingredients
- 2 kg / 4 lb redcurrants, left on the stalks
- 600 ml / 1 pint water
- Sugar, using 500 g / 1 lb for every 600 ml / 1 pint of strained juice
Method
Put the redcurrants into a large saucepan with the water. Bring to the boil, then reduce t
A traditional way of preserving the abundance of summer fruit.
Makes approximately 3.25 kg / 7 lb
Ingredients
- 2 kg / 4 lb redcurrants, left on the stalks
- 600 ml / 1 pint water
- Sugar, using 500 g / 1 lb for every 600 ml / 1 pint of strained juice
Method
Put the redcurrants into a large saucepan with the water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for around 45 minutes, until the fruit is pulpy.
Pour the contents into a jelly bag and leave to drain for 12 hours or overnight.
Rinse the pan and measure the strained juice. Return the juice to the clean saucepan and add 500 g of sugar for every 600 ml of juice.
Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly until setting point is reached.
Remove from the heat, skim if necessary and pour into warmed, sterilised jars.
Shared by Pam, Summer 2026
Sues happiness cake
Pams Redcurrant jelly
Pams Redcurrant jelly
A wonderfully wholesome loaf packed with fruit, carrots, nuts, seeds and warming spices.
Ingredients
- 80 g walnuts, chopped and roasted
- 50 g raisins, soaked in hot water
- 3 medium bananas
- 2 large eggs
- 75 ml vegetable oil
- 75 g light brown sugar, plus ½ tbsp for the topping
- 225 g self-raising flour
- ¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1½ tsp t
A wonderfully wholesome loaf packed with fruit, carrots, nuts, seeds and warming spices.
Ingredients
- 80 g walnuts, chopped and roasted
- 50 g raisins, soaked in hot water
- 3 medium bananas
- 2 large eggs
- 75 ml vegetable oil
- 75 g light brown sugar, plus ½ tbsp for the topping
- 225 g self-raising flour
- ¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp ginger
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- 2 tbsp milled flaxseed, or ground almonds
- 1 large carrot, grated
- 4 tbsp milk
- 3 tbsp mixed seeds, such as pumpkin, sunflower and sesame, or simply pumpkin seeds
Method
Line a 900 g loaf tin, approximately 9 cm x 20 cm, and preheat the oven to 180°C, or 160°C fan.
Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, oil and sugar and beat until slightly thickened.
Sift in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and spices. Fold in the flaxseed or ground almonds, taking care not to overmix.
Drain the raisins and add them to the mixture with the grated carrot, milk, most of the walnuts and most of the seeds. Reserve some nuts and seeds for the top.
Scrape the mixture into the loaf tin and level the surface.
Combine the reserved walnuts and seeds with the extra sugar and scatter over the top.
Bake for approximately 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Leave to cool in the tin for 10 to 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Slice when cool. Sue notes that it keeps for up to six days in a cake tin, can be frozen in slices and is “delicious toasted.”
Shared by Sue, Summer 2026
Blackcurrant cordial
Pams Redcurrant jelly
Blackcurrant cordial
- 500 g blackcurrants
- 250 g golden caster sugar
- 300 ml water
- Juice of 2 lemons
Method
- Wash the blackcurrants, remove them from the stems and place them in a large saucepan.
- Add the sugar and water, then heat gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
- Continue cooking for a few minutes until the blackcurrants are very soft and starting
- 500 g blackcurrants
- 250 g golden caster sugar
- 300 ml water
- Juice of 2 lemons
Method
- Wash the blackcurrants, remove them from the stems and place them in a large saucepan.
- Add the sugar and water, then heat gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
- Continue cooking for a few minutes until the blackcurrants are very soft and starting to burst.
- Stir in the lemon juice.
- Strain through a fine sieve, or a sieve lined with muslin, and allow the juice to drip through.
- Pour into sterilised bottles, seal, allow to cool and refrigerate.
Serving
Dilute to taste with still or sparkling water.
Storage
The recipe notes that it will keep in the fridge for up to around one month.
Blackcurrant Jam
Pams Redcurrant jelly
Blackcurrant cordial
Makes approximately 4.5 kg / 10 lb
Ingredients
- 1.8 kg / 4 lb blackcurrants
- 1.7 litres / 3 pints water
- 2.7 kg / 6 lb granulated sugar
- Small knob of butter
Method
- Soak the blackcurrants in cold water, remove them from the stalks and place them in a preserving pan with the water.
- Bring to the boil, then simmer uncovered for about 40 minutes, u
Makes approximately 4.5 kg / 10 lb
Ingredients
- 1.8 kg / 4 lb blackcurrants
- 1.7 litres / 3 pints water
- 2.7 kg / 6 lb granulated sugar
- Small knob of butter
Method
- Soak the blackcurrants in cold water, remove them from the stalks and place them in a preserving pan with the water.
- Bring to the boil, then simmer uncovered for about 40 minutes, until the fruit has softened and the liquid has reduced.
- Add the sugar and stir frequently until it has dissolved.
- Bring to a gentle boil and boil for around 10 minutes, then test for a set.
- To test, place a spoonful onto a chilled saucer and leave it in the fridge for 5 minutes. If it wrinkles or has a jam-like consistency when pushed with a finger, it is ready. If not, return it to the heat and test again.
- Stir in the butter.
- Leave the jam to cool for around 10 minutes so the fruit does not sink in the jars.
- Ladle into sterilised jars, leaving a little space at the top, and allow to cool before covering.
Memories of darwen
memories of darwen
Some of the richest heritage came out of the conversations that happened while we were working together.
One Growing Thursday began with tomatoes, potatoes and composting, but ended with memories of Darwen Wakes Weeks, when mills and businesses closed for the annual holiday and the whole rhythm of the town changed.
Participants remembered shops and newsagents preparing for closure, families buying what they needed in advance, and Darwen railway station packed with people heading to Blackpool for their holidays. They also remembered that Darwen and Blackburn sometimes had different Wakes Weeks, which could make family life complicated when people worked in different towns.
The conversation then moved into how people used to shop.
Butter could be cut from a larger block, shaped with wooden butter pats and wrapped in greaseproof paper. Bacon was sliced in local shops, sweets were bought individually, and people talked about buying things “on tick”, meaning taking goods on credit and paying later.
These memories might sound ordinary, but that is exactly why they matter.
They show how food, work, family life, industry and community were once much more closely tied to the rhythms of the town and the seasons.
That is the kind of living heritage Thriving with the Seasons is trying to capture before it disappears.
The history beneath our feet
As the Growing Thursdays conversations developed, we also began looking more closely at the history of the area around the growing space.
One of the sites discussed was Starkie Street Mill, a weaving mill built in 1881–82 by James Pilkington. It was equipped with 284 looms and employed around 150 operatives when leased to Henry Cooper of Industry Mill. In 1897 it was bought by James Watson, and th
The surviving records describe the buildings as a well-preserved example of a small stone-built weaving shed, with the site sitting between Starkie Street and the railway.
Alongside the mill history, we also explored the industrial landscape around the allotment and the remains of former coal workings nearby.We identifed Mill Coal Pit, close to Turncroft Road and St Peter’s Junior School, showing
Today we are using these spaces to grow food, share knowledge and reconnect with the seasons, but beneath and around us are traces of an earlier Darwen shaped by mills, coal, engineering and generations of working people.
The landscape has changed, but the stories are still there if we stop and look for them.
Traditional remedies & plant knowledge
Knowledge carried in us
Dee’s honey, turmeric and ginger preparation
Judiths infused herbal oil
Another strand of Summer was the sharing of plant knowledge and home remedies.
These contributions were not presented as medical advice, but as examples of the kind of practical knowledge people have traditionally shared through families, communities and everyday life.
Knowledge carried in people
Plant knowledge does not always arrive thro
Another strand of Summer was the sharing of plant knowledge and home remedies.
These contributions were not presented as medical advice, but as examples of the kind of practical knowledge people have traditionally shared through families, communities and everyday life.
Knowledge carried in people
Plant knowledge does not always arrive through formal workshops.
Sometimes it appears in a conversation, an old sheet of paper, a handwritten recipe, a gardening tip or something somebody has used for years.
Thriving with the Seasons is creating space for those contributions to be noticed, shared and preserved alongside the more formal activities of the project.
Judiths infused herbal oil
Dee’s honey, turmeric and ginger preparation
Judiths infused herbal oil
Judith shared an old herbal remedies factsheet for making an infused oil using comfrey, rosemary and lavender.
The recipe uses:
- 25 g dried comfrey
- 25 g dried rosemary
- 200 ml almond, olive or organic sunflower oil
- Around 60 drops of lavender essential oil
The herbs are gently infused into the oil over several hours, strained, then infused a
Judith shared an old herbal remedies factsheet for making an infused oil using comfrey, rosemary and lavender.
The recipe uses:
- 25 g dried comfrey
- 25 g dried rosemary
- 200 ml almond, olive or organic sunflower oil
- Around 60 drops of lavender essential oil
The herbs are gently infused into the oil over several hours, strained, then infused again with the remaining herbs. The finished oil can also be turned into an ointment by gently warming it with beeswax.
What makes this contribution interesting is not simply the recipe itself, but the knowledge around how herbs were prepared, dried, infused and stored.
It is a good example of the kind of household plant knowledge that was once more commonly passed between people and is now much less familiar.
Dee’s honey, turmeric and ginger preparation
Dee’s honey, turmeric and ginger preparation
Dee’s honey, turmeric and ginger preparation
Dee shared another simple home preparation made with:
- 350 g local honey
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- A pinch of black pepper
She mixes the ingredients together and uses a teaspoon stirred into hot water in the morning.
Dee shared this with the group as something she uses for general wellbeing and described it as an anti-inflammatory and immune-supporting drink.
Real life changes. Taking the practice beyond the course
One participant noticed a significant difference during a recent dental appointment.
Normally she would tense her body, hold her breath and become restless in the chair. This time, she noticed what her body was doing and deliberately kept breathing.
She described the experience as “massively different”. She felt calmer, was less fidgety and was able to keep bringing herself back into the present moment rather than becoming caught up in what was happening. She also didnt require pain relief. She used the presence breathing practices.
Karl experiences claustrophobia during MRI scans and had previously found them very difficult. Its traumatic for him and his wife.
At a recent appointment, he used the breathing and meditation techniques he had learnt on Wellbeing Wednesdays, counting his breaths while inside the scanner.
For the first time, he was able to remain calm and complete the full 25-minute MRI scan without experiencing his usual claustrophobic response. The staff were in shock.
Karl has continued practising since the course finished and later told the group that he now uses the skills he learnt every day and has established a regular meditation routine.
Vix: when the outside hasn't changed, but something inside has
Vix shared a reflection with the group:
“Life feels easier even though nothing has actually changed externally. My internal world is allowing me to be present, to be in flow, receive the day as a gift rather than having to face it.”
She then added that she had sent the words to a friend and realised that the change was most likely connected with the work she had been doing on the course.
“My sense of wellbeing doesn't seem to correlate to my situation. I feel better than I think I should be doing.”