Eunice McGhie-Belgrave
She is known as the 'First Lady' of allotments, and has inspired countless children to grow and cook their own vegetables. For more than 20 years, Eunice McGhie-Belgrave has been working tirelessly to make sure young people take a pride in their community.
She was driven to start her group Shades Of Black in 1989, after Handsworth in Birmingham, her local area, was ripped apart by horrific riots. Thanks to her contagious enthusiasm, it has gone from strength to strength. Eunice, 75, now works with thousands of inner-city children of all ages and backgrounds, and the police say she's helped reduce crime and anti-social behaviour.
Through her allotment project, she takes schoolchildren, aged four to 18, to three large plots in the city where they weed, plant and grow veg, including carrots, pumpkins and potatoes. They then learn to cook healthy recipes and also deliver produce in baskets to elderly people in the area. "They enjoy the allotments because it is different to being at school and sitting down," says Eunice. "But I am very strict! I make sure they work hard at taking care of the vegetables. "There are so many benefits of working on the land and being healthy, and if they grow vegetables and see them being cooked they are much more interested in eating them."People come from all over the country to see what we do here which is very nice."
Eunice, who has four children, eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild, also helped create a garden at Handsworth's Community Fire Station and hosts a Harvest Festival every year. She also started the Commonwealth World War I and World War II Veterans' Black, White And Asian Research Project to teach children about their ancestors' roles in Britain's history. Through this project she managed to get the derelict Stechford War Memorial restored.
"At our first meeting for Shades Of Black all those years ago, we had 50 people and I persuaded the probation office where I worked to give us a room," says Eunice. "I gave people tea and biscuits to make sure they came.
"Now I work with several volunteers, eight schools and have had funding from the National Lottery."
Sergeant Paul Street, of West Handsworth Neighbourhood Policing Team, says, "Last year alone crime fell by 11 per cent in West Handsworth, and the work Eunice does contributes to this. Her allotments project is a fantastic way of bringing the community together and teaching children life skills."
Jo Wedderburn, a teacher at Rookery Primary School, says, "Eunice inspires children to learn in a way the classroom sometimes can't. She is a wonderful woman."