The Growing Schools Hub

One of our partnership projects had MEEN working with Hulme Community Garden Centre and Sow the City to help Greater Manchester's school grounds get growing. The project ran from 2013 until 2016 offering schools a variety of exciting opportunities. 

Schools could have a free school grounds 'survey' involving a site visit and the development of an action plan run alongside regular GM Growing School twilight sessions and a newsletter. To see view the final newsletter click here.

There were a bespoke range of training opportunities and workshops to support school action plans including: 

•  Half day construction/refurbishment sessions, 
•  An Introduction to fruit and vegetable growing training, 
•  Support creating a grounds maintenance plan, 
•  Visits to inspirational sites to inform and inspire pupils and staff,
•  Practical cookery and nutrition sessions, 
•  INSET to develop links to the curriculum. 

All these training opportunities were match funded by the GM Growing Schools Hub. 

With a wealth of skills and experience to share from keeping chickens, creative linking of outdoor learning to the curriculum, gardening for wildlife, planting, working with Forest Gardens, setting up and running gardening clubs, among just a few, the project supported over 40 schools in Greater Manchester.

This project was part of a much wider Growing Schools programme including partner projects in Coventry, Sheffield and Devon and iwa supported by the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens.