News March 2016
21/03/2016
TV gardener Chris Collins announces food growing target for London's green fingered kids
.JPG)
We are delighted to report that Chris Collins, best known as the former TV Blue Peter gardener, joined us as a special guest for the first ever Food Growing Schools: London conference last week.
The event took place at Argyle School in Camden and was one of two schools conferences this spring that bring teachers and schools from across London together, with the aim of inspiring and supporting them to become food growing schools.
Chris Collins is a long-standing ambassador of Garden Organic, and a big supporter of Food Growing Schools: London. His inspirational opening speech took the audience through his impressive career spanning 30 years and including lots more than Blue Peter as he’s worked extensively in Africa, at Kew Gardens and Westminster Abbey too.
Chris used the conference as an opportunity to announce that the original target for London’s biggest food growing count, the ‘Growathon’ has been met. It is estimated that over 10,000 London pupils are now involved in growing food at school, with the number climbing by the week.
Having already beaten this target, we are now setting the ambitious aim of reaching 50,000 school pupils by the end of the Summer.
Our special Growathon website has been set up so that schools, students and any organisations involved in food growing can shout about what they’re doing by listing their activities on the website and joining in our challenge to get as many school pupils as possible involved in food growing.
Adding your food growing activities to the Growathon website could not be easier - just fill in our simple online form and watch as the numbers on the “Carrot Totalizer” increase.
Read more about the Food Growing Schools: London conference here.
16/03/2016
TV Gardener Chris Collins inspires at the First Food Growing Schools: London conference
The very first Food Growing Schools: London (FGSL) conference took place at took place at Argyle School in Camden this week.
It was one of two schools conferences FGSL are organising this spring to bring schools from across London together with the aim of inspiring and supporting them to become food growing schools.
The FGSL North London Conference explored a variety of interactive and informative advice and hands-on activities led by London’s school food growing experts. After an inspirational welcome from Chris Collins, famous TV gardener and ambassador for lead partner Garden Organic, the schools conference took place with workshops led by a number of the FGSL partner organisations, including Capital Growth and the RHS Campaign for School Gardening, School Food Matters and Trees for Cities.
The event was also supported by Chase Organic Gardening catalogue, who provided seeds for delegates, and Abel & Cole, who donated fruit baskets for the conference.
The day included a keynote speech from Chris Collins and a “Gardener’s Question Time” where the audience had the opportunity to get valuable advice from the highly skilled panel. Top tips included how to engage teenagers and how to grow using horse manure in your soil, adapting small spaces and following the seasons in the year.
Chris Collins said: “I am delighted to be the keynote speaker for the Food Growing Schools: London Conferences. I really value the opportunity to share my food growing experience with teachers and younger generations. As a long standing ambassador for Garden Organic, I am always keen to support this kind of initiative and get more schools growing.”
A limited number of places are still available on the next FGSL Schools Conference which will be and Monday 11 April in Southwark. For each conference FGSL is offering 50 free places to the schools worth £150 per delegate. Further information and a booking form can be found here .
Any London school, teachers and volunteers can access free support, tips and materials by signing up to Food Growing Schools: London.
09/03/2016
FGSL Schools Conference 2016
North London Conference - Tuesday 15th March 2016, Argyle Primary, Camden
Tuesday 15th March in Camden (Argyle School) 50 schools will join the Food Growing Schools: London partnership for a day of school gardening workshops, packed full of growing ideas, advice and hands-on activities led by London’s school food growing experts.
London schools are welcome to book a place at the next FGSL Schools Conferences which will be held on Monnday 11th April in Southwark (John Ruskin).
Two venues, one conference for a day of school gardening workshops delivering a variety of interactive and informative advice and hands-on activities led by London’s school food growing experts.
Chris Collins, famous TV gardener and passionate Garden Organic ambassador, will be the keynote speaker at the two Schools conferences organised this spring by Food Growing Schools: London, a project which brings together the very best of London’s food growing expertise, information and support, with the ambition to inspire and equip every school in London to grow their own food.
Chris will be also part of the “Gardeners Question Time” activity held during the conferences which will be packed full of growing ideas for all the participants.
