On Wednesday, 29th October 2025, the Roots Society suffered a break-in. The Roots Society is a communal gardening society that aims to provide food and a safe space for wildlife and for people who enjoy caring for it. The society has an allotment space on the Sussex Campus, located behind the Northfield blocks of accommodation.
The break-in took place in the evening of the 29th, only a few hours after their session had finished earlier that evening. Reports show that the door to a toolshed was ripped off its hinges, with two of the most expensive pieces of equipment being stolen, including an electric drill and a pair of tree loppers.
Furthermore, the door handle of the largest summer house was snapped in half, but the lock was still holding the door together. Members of the committee suspect that the robbers attempted to break in here, too.
However, this event came as no surprise to members of the committee who had previously spoken to members of campus security following smaller robberies this semester. Items such as chairs, signs, a fire bowl, building materials and decorative items had previously been reported as damaged or stolen prior to the larger break-in on the 29th. The group had also reported seeing broken glass, rubbish and rotting food left around social areas belonging to the group, with members of the committee presuming this may have been left by other visitors to the area.
This has caused much reflection from members of the committee, considering similar signs of this break-in have happened before. A committee member remembered how “the door handle to our summer house has actually been found snapped in half before – at the time, we assumed it was frost damage, although we were quite surprised as the handle was basically brand new. Now that we’ve had a confirmed break-in attempt and found the handle broken in exactly the same way, I’m not so sure.”
Since the incident last month, campus security has said that they will be increasing nighttime patrols, including more patrol squads going up to the plot-site, in the hopes that this will discourage thieves. As a result, the society no longer stores more valuable tools onsite to avoid more expensive break-ins.
the door to a toolshed was ripped off its hinges, with two of the most expensive pieces of equipment being stolen.
The Roots Society has issued the following statement:
“We’re first and foremost a student space. Our site is built and grown for students and by students, to make friends, connect with nature and enjoy the pleasure of eating a meal you’ve grown yourself. We’ve done all we can to keep the plot open for students whenever they want to use it – our sessions are free, no need to register, and people are welcome to drop in at any time. The plot is never locked; we welcome students looking for a quiet space to sit down in a thriving garden, or hoping to have an authorised society campfire in a safe spot.
But we’ve been taken advantage of time and time again. When students leave broken glass and cigarette butts for us to pick up, or damage our building materials, or break into our sheds and steal our tools, it undermines everything that we do to keep our plot a secure and welcoming space. Misuse of our fire pit could also result in the University being forced to close it, which would be a shame for everyone.
All we ask is that visitors respect our garden. Clean up your mess; take your rubbish away with you. Don’t steal our tools for quick money – we need them. Enjoy the space. We’ve worked hard on it.”
Unfortunately for Roots, the story did not end there. Whilst working with The Badger on their statement for this article, the allotment suffered another break-in. On Sunday, 16th November, robbers took an axe, a wrecking bar, a hammer and a large plastic medical kit. Committee members believe the medical kit may have looked or felt like another power tool, which could explain why it was stolen..
The society now estimates the cost of equipment stolen to be at least a few hundred pounds worth, not including the damage done to the sheds, which need replacing as part of the shed door itself had been stolen.
The society now estimates the cost of equipment stolen to be at least a few hundred pounds worth.
The society would like to add to its statement:
“We’ve removed anything else of value from the shed. There’s nothing more to take”. If anyone living in the Northfield accommodations has seen anything that might help, Roots would really appreciate any information.
Roots holds open sessions every Wednesday and Sunday from 1 pm to 3 pm. If you have any details relating to these incidents, Roots can be contacted via their Instagram page @sussexroots or their Facebook page ‘Sussex Roots Group’.
Another article you may enjoy: https://thebadgeronline.com/2025/12/jazz-in-the-box-x-liberation-live-review/
