Let's Grow Black Country & Birmingham
Let’s Grow Black Country is an exciting new initiative funded by Big Lottery Local Food Scheme that the Wildlife Trust is supporting. The scheme aims to support people of all ages and abilities to get involved in gardening and food growing wherever they are. Support from the team is offered across the Black Country boroughs of Sandwell, Dudley, Walsall and Wolverhampton.
The project offers:
- Ready, Steady, Grow ™ action packed school and early years visits to the market gardens including a seasonal tour, healthy eating and hands on gardening.
- Vocational Training in Horticulture for 14-16 year olds and adults.
- Hands on outreach workshops in any setting in gardening, food growing and healthy cooking.
- Advice, support and ideas for setting up your own garden in your school grounds, allotment or community centre.
- Teacher training sessions, and short courses in gardening and food growing
- Support, information and resources from arranging visits to farms, to packs to help you get growing.
- Tailor made, fun, hands on gardening, food growing workshops at your school, college, youth centre or community group
- Advice, support and expertise for groups and schools wanting to set up their own community gardens and allotments
- Links and visits to farms and community gardens, accessible to the Black Country boroughs
- Vocational training in Horticulture, short courses and events
The project is designed to bring gardening to you, link you up with a local farm or food producer for a visit, or arrange a visit to the project's flagship gardens. Ideal for All has two fully accessible gardens Malthouse Garden (B66 1JE) and Salop Drive Market Garden (B68 9AG) with facilities including polytunnels, indoor learning space, glasshouses, raised beds, outdoor growing areas, wildlife gardens and toilets.
You can book a Horticulture Therapists to come and deliver fun, educational hands on garden workshops at your school, college, or community centre. Activities are tailor made to suit individual and group needs. (examples include; planting and potting salad pots and herbs, women only groups etc). Support and advice can be provided to groups thinking of planning and setting up their own garden or allotment.
Who manages it?
Get Growing Black Country is managed in a partnership between disabled people’s charity Ideal for All and the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust. Together they bring knowledge and expertise in all aspects of food growing, gardening, accessible garden planning and creation of wildlife habitats. Ideal for All’s Growing Opportunities team leads on ‘community agriculture’ and has created flagship gardens in Sandwell. The organisations have strong operational procedures including all necessary Health and Safety, insurance and protection policies in place.
Who are the staff?
The outreach sessions, garden visits, and courses are run by a friendly and qualified team, all of whom have expertise in gardening, food growing, wildlife habitat creation, as well as teaching and working with diverse groups.
Who can book?
Schools, community groups, and other groups can contact the team to book a visit to the gardens, or for an outreach session. Outreach, workshops and advice sessions can be tailored to suit your needs, and at a venue of your choice. Just use the contacts at the bottom of the page.
What does it cost?
Much of the work is part supported for two years through the Big Lottery’s Local Food Scheme. The outreach workshops and sessions are priced on individual requirements. Cost will include materials for the workshop.
Find out more
For more information and to keep in touch with the latest news, visit the website at www.getgrowingbcb.org or contact
Veronica Barry/Helen Sneyd
Ideal for All
Independent Living Centre
100 Oldbury Road
Smethwick, West Midlands
B66 1JE
Tel 0121 558 5555
Email: veronica_barry@sandwell.gov.uk
Downloads
| Filename | File size |
|---|---|
| lets_grow.pdf | 2.51 MB |