The green-fingered Harlow mum feeding hundreds from her kitchen garden

  • Watch Hannah Pettifer chatting to gardener Carly Burd

A remarkable green-fingered mum has single-handedly fed more than 230 people from her own back garden.

Carly Burd has multiple sclerosis and lives with her three children on disability benefits in Harlow.

With the increasing cost of living, she knew she needed to grow her own food but also wanted to help others in her community who were struggling.

So she turned her garden into a mini allotment and now hands out food bags containing her own home-grown produce for free.

Bagging up some vegetables produce to hand out Credit: ITV News Anglia

"Last year I went without heating, I didn't have the money for it," she told ITV News Anglia.

"We are given lower than what it costs to survive on and obviously things have to give, there are things we can't have.

"To feel this way, it's like the end of the world's coming and you have no idea how you're going to cope.

"And the thought of other people going through it upsets me the most, because I know exactly what it feels like and how hard it is because it is a struggle.

"Other people go for a coffee and don't think twice about it, we can't do that."

A big hug to say thank you: Carly drops off food to Sally Credit: ITV News Anglia

Ms Burd has since set up a facebook group called A Meal On Me With Love.

She makes around 20 deliveries a week of her produce, along with other donations she has been given.

For Sally Goodbrand, who is also on disability benefit while waiting for a double lung transplant, the delivery is a huge help.

"Since she's been coming round it's helped me a lot because obviously I can't have my heating on and if I do it's costing me money.

"Everything now is money that we haven't got... it's not fair but we've got people like you to help us which is amazing," she said.

Carly at work clearing the allotment before planting Credit: ITV News Anglia

Ms Burd has now taken on an unused allotment site from Harlow Council, from which she plans to grow even more fresh produce for the community.

It's 20 times the size of her back garden but, Ms Burd said - that simply means helping even more families in need.

"When I deliver it you can see people need it and then to see their faces smile, it melts my heart and it does make me feel good.

"But to me there's more I can do, I don't feel like I have given it my all."

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