Across Cheltenham’s allotments, a series of composting workshops has been helping local growers build healthier soil from the ground up.

Led by Garden Organic, and delivered in partnership with Cheltenham Borough Council, the sessions have focused on practical, hands-on composting skills to support more resilient food growing across the town.

Many of the workshops have been delivered locally by Steve – a Gloucestershire Master Composter and long-standing local grower – bringing a grounded, no-dig, soil-first approach that links directly to his wider work on soil health and sustainable growing in Cheltenham.

All of the sessions were fully booked, highlighting a strong and growing interest from allotment holders in improving soil health and reducing reliance on bought-in compost and external inputs.

What the workshops covered

The sessions focused on practical, everyday composting skills, including:

• the soil food web, how composting works and why it matters for productive growing
• turning garden and food waste into usable soil
• improving soil structure, fertility and water retention
• choosing and managing composting systems
• troubleshooting common issues on allotment plots

At the heart of the programme is a simple idea: compost is not waste management – it is soil building.

Because healthy compost doesn’t just reduce waste.

It feeds soil life. It strengthens crops. And it builds long-term resilience into growing spaces.

Why it matters

Healthy soil is the foundation of successful growing. For allotment holders, better composting means stronger harvests, improved soil structure, less watering and dependence on external inputs.