Pumpkin weighing as much as a horse will be carved to feed Lenton homeless

A huge pumpkin weighing 372kg will be carved up to feed homeless and mentally ill people in Nottingham.

It was grown by Ray and Sarah Armstrong, from South Clifton, near Newark, from a £25 seed.

The pumpkin came second in the Royal Horticultural Society’s giant pumpkin competition.

Following their win, they donated the vegetable to The Lenton Centre, a community centre and charity which works with local groups.

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The pumpkin weighs the same as a horse, or 4 baby elephants

The pumpkin will be made into pies, which will be served tomorrow during the centre’s Tasty Tuesdays project which aims to feed 50-60 people from Lenton, who are mostly homeless or suffering with mental health issues.

However, due to the size of the pumpkin, whatever is left over will go towards a meal for their West Area Project, a group of 20-30 adults with learning disabilities.

Jenna Hubball, the forum director, said: “It’s really fantastic that they thought of us, and it will help a lot of people.

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Hector Smith and Jenna Hubball from the centre with the gigantic pumpkin.

“We’re really going to have to pull together and find a way to make as much as we can out of it and utilise it.”

Jenna added that they’d been getting a lot of attention due to their gigantic gourd.

“Twitter’s been going mad, my phone’s been going mad and passers by have been just stopping in awe of this massive pumpkin.”

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