Food Futures Growing Manchester Programme - Sustaining Community Food Growing
Projects
What makes
a successful community food growing project?
Is it people who can plan ahead?
Is it the sunny, well drained site?
Is it the ongoing grant? Is it a supportive neighbourhood?
Is it the local café that's willing to buy your
surplus veg?
Each project is unique; each has its strengths and challenges;
each
has to overcome different barriers; each has different aspirations and
goals.
The Growing Manchester Programme is a partnership between Food Futures,
the Kindling Trust, BITE and Hulme Community Garden Centre. It
aims to support community growing projects to
become more sustainable in the long term and covers a wide range of
issues such as maintaining soil fertility,
your legal responsibilities and involving
more people.
The
Programme offers:
•
food growing training,
• tailored support and planning
•
site visits
• funding.
Who is it
aimed at?
•
Groups and organisations already involved in food growing
or gardening who want
more support
•
Groups and organisations who want to get involved in food
growing who have
access to some land
•
Staff in Children's Centres, Schools, Day Centres,
Residential Homes, Nurseries
etc with access to land who want
to grow food
•
Individuals who want to set up or join a food growing project
•
Community Allotment Projects
It all
starts with the Strong Roots one day workshop that introduces the Growing
Manchester Programme, including how to meet the criteria for funding.
For those of you who would just like to learn more about practical food growing
there is a five week (two hour per week) 'Introduction to Urban Growing' course.
The course will be run several times in different areas of Manchester.
The first two course dates are below.
To apply
for the training or to be part of the Programme, please fill in the application
form attached. Please see the dates below to make sure you can attend. You can also download this from
http://www.foodfutures.info/growingmanchester.
Please note there
will be a further opportunity to apply for the Growing Manchester Programme
later in the year.
Please note that this
is only open to Manchester based projects and individuals.
Dates and Deadlines:
Closing
date for applications – Monday 12th April at 12noon.
Introduction to Urban Growing courses:
Every
Wednesday 1.30pm to 3.30pm at Hulme Community
Garden Centre from 21st April for
five weeks.
Every
Tuesday 11am to 1pm at Debdale Eco Centre from 4th May
for five weeks.
Strong Roots Workshop
Wednesday
26th May 10am to 4pm location TBC.
3 FREE NEW TRAINING SESSIONS
STARTING NOW !!
* FREE gardening course for Refugees every Thursday from 2pm until 4pm. The four week course will teach you basic gardening skills, learn about seeds and soil, herbs, flowers and vegetables.
* FREE gardening course for Women Only every Tuesday from 10am until 12 noon. The four week course will teach you basic gardening skills. A chance to meet new people, learn new skills, gain confidence.
Both courses attendees receive a certificate and travel expenses available.
Contact Kate for more information on 0161 227 8198
* FREE gardening course Over 50s Gardening Club every Thursday from 2pm until 4pm starting on Thursday 8th April (when the weather is nicer ...).
Do you enjoy gardening but don't have access to a garden?
Would you like to meet other people and just enjoy a couple of hours
each week in our gardens, learning new gardening skills, pottering,
tending to plants and enjoy a cup of tea?
Then this club is for you!
All the sessions have been planned with you in mind - we have hand
tools especially made to ease working in the garden for people with
arthritis. You will be able to work whilst sitting down if you find
standing or kneeling difficult.
Contact Helene at the Centre for more info or call 0161 227 8198.
Do come ...!
Environmental education centre
One of our aims is to develop HCGC as an Environmental Education centre
to promote wildlife conservation and sustainable development within the
community.
We already have a garden packed with wildlife that is open to
the community. The garden includes a wildlife pond with resident newts,
amongst other things, insect and bug habitats, a woodland garden and a
living willow hedge.
We are continuously looking to develop the Centre for the
benefit of the wider community and the environment and are planning to
convert the Centre to run off micro generation technology in the near
future.
Future plans are also to expand the site and open a visitor and
education centre - this will only be possible with the continous
support of funders, volunteers and the community.
At HCGC we aim to educate the local community in horticulture,
organic growing and the environment. Supervised sessions are on
Wednesday, but do give us a ring if this is a difficult day for you and we will try to arrange an alternative.
We have a friendly aproachable team who are readily available to
give advice, we have volunteering sessions and placements and we also
have a more formal programme of courses and workshops.
We offer ...
- 12 week volunteer programme
- School/college placements
- Nursery/Primary School activities
- Work placement
Our aim is to work with community groups, schools and individuals promoting horticulture.
As well as holding workshops and activities at the Centre we are available to go into schools and the community to give advice.
We can offer a range of activities, please get in touch for more information and
contact:-
Helene Rudlin for Volunteering and Placements
Katherine Moores for Training, Schools and off site training
on 0161 227 8198 or call at the Centre.
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