YORK Central MP Hugh Bayley dropped in on allotment holders at a community garden in the city.

MR Bayley visted the YUMI (York Unifying and Multicultural Initiative) allotment at Fulford Cross today to learn about various projects run by the voluntary intercultural network which links people with different beliefs, lifestyles and cultural roots who live in York.

YUMI was set up in 2004 and one of their first initiatives was to encourage YUMI members to obtain the appropriate certificates and qualifications to cook food from their own cultures and share it with the people in the city. This led to the establishment of YUMI Cooks and in March 2010 YUMI took on a derelict allotment site and transformed it into a garden full of vegetables, fruit and flowers, with a fire-pit in the middle for cooking.

Helen Hays, garden facilitator at YUMI, said: “With help from a number of funders we have created a garden which not only looks and tastes good but has also helped lots of people from different cultures to meet together and grow food plants in a welcoming and relaxing environment.”

Mr Bayley said: “York is a wonderful city where people from many different backgrounds live together. We can all learn from each other, and YUMI has really original ways of spreading knowledge of plants and dishes from other countries. My wife goes to YUMI and so I have got to know some of the food they grow there. York is an intercultural city and it is brilliant to see YUMI bringing people together like this.”