Master Gardener Marie in action

A leading charity’s unique project to support people to grow their own food has reached out to over 5,000 residents across four local authorities, recruited over 200 households and offered expert advice at over 70 community events within just 5 months of launching.

Master Gardeners – a project from organic growing charity Garden Organic – offers practical food growing advice to communities under the supervision of a dedicated Master Gardener mentor. Reaching out to thousands of individuals the project aims to build local skills, encourage organic growing and provide access to fresh, home-grown fruit and veg.

Master Gardeners Nicholas and Fiona with Jake's trays of lettuces at Streatham Festival

Under the scheme mentors are trained by Garden Organic and then supported by the charity to help local people grow their own. Project Manager, Philip Turvil, said, “The Master Gardener scheme has been developed in response to an increasing interest in food growing, the need to grow more sustainable food and to address a national shortage of grow your own skills.”

“The scheme works by offering individuals and communities expertise, practical advice and mentoring. The idea is to enthuse people about food growing whilst offering the support that they need along the journey.”

For example

One such individual to benefit from the mentoring is Gillian Pratt, from Warwickshire, whose Master Gardener mentor, Ted Hatwood has supported her growing efforts this year. Gillian said, “I had wanted to try my hand at growing vegetables for some time, but the first time I did I had such poor results that I was reluctant to do it again. I heard about the Master Gardeners in my area and now, thanks to Ted’s experience and advice, I’ve successfully grown hanging baskets of cherry tomatoes and a crop of potatoes and plan to think big for the next growing season based on this year’s success!”

Warwickshire Master Gardener Lesley shows her mentored households around the allotment garden at Ryton Gardens, Garden Organic

And, according to Philip Turvil this is why the scheme works, “Because Master Gardeners can give hands-on support, meaning people are more likely to persevere and see successful results with their growing efforts.”

Funded by the Big Lottery Fund’s Local Food scheme, the Sheepdrove Trust and local authorities, the project is presently being piloted in Warwickshire, Islington, South London and Norfolk. With the aim to develop further programme areas as funding opportunities become available. So far the scheme has helped all sorts of householders from those living on inner-city estates with little or no growing experience, to those with garden space for veg patches, with a breadth of ages taking the plunge to grow their own.

And the project has even further reaching benefits – by taking the sustainable food growing message into communities it benefits households by improving gardening skills, increasing access to organic produce, while also promoting the environmental benefits of growing food organically.

To find out more about the project or to find a Master Gardener near you please visit http://www.mastergardeners.org.uk or call Garden Organic on 024 76308210.

-ends-

For press enquiries contact Charlotte Corner on 02476 217707 or email at: ccorner@gardenorganic.org.uk

For more information about Master Gardeners, contact Philip Turvil on 02476 217718 or email here

Read case studies from:
Warwickshire, Islington, south London, Norfolk

Notes to editors

• If you are interested in more case studies relating to the Master Gardener project, or stories with a local angle please get in touch.
• Garden Organic, the UK’s leading organic growing charity, has been at the forefront of the organic horticulture movement for 50 years. Dedicated to promoting organic gardening in homes, communities and schools, it uses innovation and inspiration to get more people growing in the most sustainable way. To find out more visit our website.
• Garden Organic’s charitable work delivers the organic growing message through renowned projects such as the Food For Life Partnership, the Master Composter and Master Gardener schemes and the work of The Heritage Seed Library.
• 2010 is the year of the charity’s new campaign One Pot Pledge® – to get 30,000 gardening newcomers to grow something edible and organic for the first time.
• Local Food has been developed by a consortium of 16 national environmental organisations, and is managed on their behalf by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT). Supported by the Big Lottery Fund’s Changing Spaces programme, Local Food will distribute grants to a variety of food related projects to make locally grown food more accessible.
• The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT) is a registered charity, incorporated by Royal Charter, to promote conservation and manage environmental programmes throughout the whole of the UK. It has established management systems for holding and distributing funds totalling more than £20 million annually to environmental projects across the UK.
• The Big Lottery Fund’s Changing Spaces programme was launched in November 2005 to help communities enjoy and improve their local environments. The programme funds a range of activities from local food schemes and farmers markets, to education projects teaching people about the local environment.

Our volunteers have spoken to nearly 5000 local residents about growing their own food in Warwickshire, Islington and south London.

A huge THANK YOU to every Master Gardener for spreading the food growing message. They’ve also signed up nearly 200 households to regularly mentor for 12 months and supported over 70 community events/organisations. Every conversation counts.

Read case studies here: Warwickshire, Islington, South London

Master Gardeners in action

Just May to August…

Master Gardeners have clocked up an amazing 1,400 volunteer hours since we launched the first training courses at the end of April 2010.

However little or a lot, we’re proud and grateful for every effort by every Master Gardener. Each of our 100 volunteers has found their own ways of helping local people and communities grow food, fitting in volunteering around their busy lifestyles to reach their communities.

Master Gardeners in action

We’ve thoroughly enjoyed hearing the latest news from volunteers via our website, or by phone, post, or in-person. Our co-ordinators are active locally to listen, support, and share coffee with volunteers. We’ve hosted extra training course in August and have more in November.

These achievements conclude the first year our this exciting pilot Master Gardener programme. The second year started September 2010 and already new hours, households and conversations are coming in.


Not resting…

This pilot programme is designed to get things working as well as possible and develop future areas. This follows are kind support of the Big Lottery Fund’s Local Food scheme, Sheepdrove Trust and local authorities.

So, our next stages are to continue developing every aspect of the programme and volunteer support. And we’ll be out and about recruiting more Master Gardeners in every programme area. See our local websites for the next training dates.

Please get in touch if you have any questions or suggestions

Thank you

Philip Turvil
Project Manager

New Norfolk volunteers

All new in Norfolk – special mention

During September we also launched our Norfolk programme with 21 lovely new Master Gardeners.

They’re already active bunch, daisy-chaining together a number of budding growers and community sites. We’ll report shortly.

See the latest news here in the meantime.

We looking for new Master Gardeners to join a volunteer network supporting local people and communities to grow fruit and vegetables in their gardens and communal land. This exciting pilot programme is funded by the Big Lottery Fund’s Local Food scheme, Sheepdrove Trust and local partners.

Our Norfolk programme kick starts this September. Volunteers are invited to apply now for a two-day foundation course taking place on the 18 and 19 September at Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse Museum.
Click for more details
Contact co-ordinator Gabbie Sharp

Our south London programme continues strongly this October after our inaugural training in June. Volunteers are now invited to apply now for a two-day foundation course taking place on the 9 and 10 October in one of the three programme boroughs: Wandswroth, Lambeth, and Southwark
Click for more details
Contact co-ordinator Sarah Cannon

Read about our:
Warwickshire programme

Islington programme

Further details
Volunteer co-ordinator Gabbie Sharp explains, “More and more people are becoming interested in growing their own food for reasons ranging from protecting the environment, health, and saving money. Each volunteer Master Gardener will support and encourage 10 local householders to grow their own food.”

Following in the footsteps of its sister scheme – Master Composters – the new Master Gardeners will go out into the community to promote the benefits of food growing through events, community talks, and practical demos. The role of a Master Gardener is not only getting more people into gardening and growing their own, but also to support them through any difficulties.

The great thing about the scheme is you don’t have to be an expert to be eligible to volunteer. All that is required is some experience of growing your own, together with a passion for encouraging others to have a go. Full Master Gardener training is provided covering everything a volunteer should need to know, with additional support from a dedicated Master Gardener manual, interactive website and all of the resources of Garden Organic.

Notes

• The Master Gardener programme is an exciting network of volunteer mentors that help people and communities grow their own; to offer them reasons to grow food, remove barriers against, teach growing skills, and offer support. The programme has also launched in Warwickshire, Islington, and south London (Wandsworth, Lambeth and Southwark).

• Garden Organic is the UK’s leading organic growing charity dedicated to researching and promoting organic gardening, farming and food, and has been at the forefront of the organic horticulture movement for 50 years. The charity, which has over 40,000 supporters, reaches more than three million beneficiaries across the world and is based at Garden Organic Ryton in Warwickshire.

• Local Food has been developed by a consortium of 16 national environmental organisations, and is managed on their behalf by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT). Supported by the Big Lottery Fund’s Changing Spaces programme, Local Food will distribute grants to a variety of food related projects to make locally grown food more accessible.

• The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT) is a registered charity, incorporated by Royal Charter, to promote conservation and manage environmental programmes throughout the whole of the UK. It has established management systems for holding and distributing funds totalling more than £20 million annually to environmental projects across the UK.

• The Big Lottery Fund’s Changing Spaces programme was launched in November 2005 to help communities enjoy and improve their local environments. The programme funds a range of activities from local food schemes and farmers markets, to education projects teaching people about the local environment.

• The Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, has been rolling out £2 million in Lottery good cause money every 24 hours to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK. http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk.

Garden Organic are delighted to have trained over 100 volunteer Master Gardeners in our three programme areas; Warwickshire, Islington and south London.

Each volunteer mentors 10 households just starting to grow their own, as well as promote food growing to their community through events, talks, stalls and schools (however suits them). They share their food growing experience and passion to help others have a go.

Islington Master Gardener Ann Morris said: “I gain huge sense of accomplishment growing my own food and I want to pass this feeling onto others. I’m looking forward to running a food growing workshop with people learning English at the St Mary Magdalene Centre tomorrow and hoping to recruit households to support from this event and others upcoming.”

Project manager Philip Turvil said: “I’m thoroughly delighted to welcome so many lovely volunteers that belief everyone can grow food, whether in a garden or allotment, on their balcony, windowsill or communal land. Even in the short time since our five, two-day foundation courses to get volunteers started, they’ve found lots of innovative and exciting ways to talk to people about growing fruit and veg – and all organically. My thanks to all of them and our Warwickshire co-ordinator Kate Newman and south London co-ordinator Sarah Cannon”.

Read local stories about new volunteers

Islington: First Islington Master Gardeners trained

Islington: New Islington Master Gardeners out and about

South London: Our first group of volunteer Master Gardeners!

Warwickshire: Welcome to the new Master Gardeners

Warwickshire: Master Gardeners in Warwickshire – part 2!

What’s next

There are exciting times ahead for the programme. The new Islington co-ordinator Kate Fenhalls joins the team in July and more new Master Gardeners are being welcomed to launch the Norfolk programme from August 2010. Current volunteers will continue with active support from their area co-ordinators with extra advice, resources and further in-service training (the first in August).

Contact the programme team here

Find out more about the programme here

Recommend a local partner to start a new Master Gardener programme in your area

The programme is funded by the Big Lottery Fund’s Local Food scheme and Sheepdrove Trust with local authorities. This three year pilot programme is intended to role out in more areas to follow the national success of Garden Organic’s Master Composter scheme (over 550 volunteers in 12 areas).

Garden Organic welcomed guests to our inaugural steering group on 26 May 2010.

The group looked around Garden Organic. We hope to go around other programme areas at future meetings

The new group will get together twice a year to help guide programme targets and ambitions.  It’s an exciting group. We’re delighted to have the opportunity to talk about success to date and plans, including publicity and monitoring.

We welcomed Hannah from Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse in Norfolk, Oliver from Edible Islington, and Martin from Warwickshire – as well as WRAP monitoring expert Sarah. We also had Garden Organic’s Margi, Kate and Philip.  Our thanks to all. And thanks in advance for future meeting and members.

Local groups

We’re also setting up groups in each programme area with local people, including Master Gardeners.  Watch out for news on our local sites in Warwickshire, Islington and south London.

Find out more about the programme

Start a local programme

Contact the team

Article by Philip Turvil

Volunteer Master Gardeners are important for future food growing skills in the UK, according to expert speakers at Garden Organic’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Saturday 22 May 2010.

They praised the innovative model of training and supporting volunteers to act as food growing mentors to help local communities grow fruit and veg. There is urgent need to redress skill shortages in food growing according to Garden Organic’s president and Government advisor, Professor Tim Lang.

The Master Gardener programme has a special role to play in building the qualitative and quantitative data that really shows what behavioural change is possible when urban food growing in enabled. Good data is needed to justify the costs of such community food growing programmes when budgets are being cut so much by Government.

Each Master Gardener actively supports 10 households for 12 month periods with an entry and exist survey to measure the impact.

Find you local Master Gardener to take part

Have a case study for us?

Read more about the Master Gardener programme

Contact the team

Also praised at the AGM

• Damson Wood Infant School for integrating food growing into the school culture – showing that gardening is a valuable and cost effective, cross-curriculum tool for learning. This school a flag ship Food For Life Partnership school supported by Garden Organic education officer Malcolm Smith.
• One Pot Pledge campaign for making food growing possible for first time growers in a high profile campaign.
  See their website here
  See Flickr for latest campaign photos

Story by Philip Turvil

Master Gardener and Composter join forces at Garden Oorganic's AGM - growing advice on left; compost advice on right with the virtual compost game

Questions and debate at the AGM

Exciting! We’re now recruiting our first south London Master Gardeners for training on the 19 and 20 June (two-day course).

We looking for enthusiastic people with some food growing experience and passion to help others have a go at growing their own. Our south London programme is across Wandsworth, Lambeth and Southwark.

Visit website for south London Master Gardeners

Read more about becoming a south London Master Gardener

Contact volunteer co-ordinator Sarah Cannon for questions and application

Find out more about the programme

Also: final few places on Islington Master Gardener course 8/9 June. Read story

Many thanks,

Philip Turvil

We’re delighted that the south London Master Gardener programme has begun with co-ordinator Sarah Cannon now out and about locally. Sarah is recruiting our first volunteers for June training.

We’re recruiting through the ‘street rep’ network of our local partners, Food Up Front and through local growing groups and initiatives (including via the local authority partners to be announced). It an exciting and a busy time. We’re looking for training venues and inspiring food growing sites to visit.

South London timetable

We welcomed volunteer co-ordinator Sarah Cannon to Garden Organic. She is now locally based in Lambeth.

Recruiting our first volunteer Master Gardener from May for our two-day foundation training course  in June 2010

Recruiting more Master Gardeners for foundation courses in September 2010 and spring 2011.

Ongoing support for south London Master Gardeners from Sarah and the programme team. Includes top-up training, resources, advice, etc. Starts after our first Master Gardeners enrol!

Find out more

Visit the south London website (under construction). See Islington and Warwickshire sites to see what’s on it’s way for south London…

Contact Sarah about enrolling in the south London programme

New local partners: Penny (middle) and Katie (right) at their Transition Town Brixton community shop with Master Gardener volunteer co-ordinator Sarah Cannon (left)

We’ve been in Norfolk this month preparing to launch the Master Gardener programme in August 2010. It’s very exciting.

Project manager Philip Turvil met our new local partners Hannah and Robin from Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse, part of Norfolk County Council. We followed a day of meetings with another day meeting locals at Gressenhall’s popular ‘Feast of Food and Farming’. See the photo captions for who we met.

Norfolk timeline

Recruiting volunteer co-ordinator for Norfolk (June 2010)

Recruiting our first volunteer Master Gardener from August for two-day foundation training course  in September 2010

Recruiting more Master Gardeners for another foundation course in Spring 2011

Ongoing support for Norfolk Master Gardeners from co-ordinator. Include top-up training, resources, advice, etc. Starts after our first Master Gardeners enroll!

Local partner Hannah Jackson giving out free radish seeds to budding gardeners at Gressenhall's Feast of Food and Farming event. She's dressed up to tell stories of past local growing, linking to museum exhibits on site

Talking to Norfolk locals interested in becoming Master Gardeners and others interested in food growing advice from Master Gardeners once the programme starts

Norfolk Master Composters were out in force at Gressenhall. We're looking forward to the two programmes working together and sharing future events

We're looking forward to working with Norfolk Organic Group to launch the local Master Gardener programme. They're a great bunch with a vibrant event programme and keen members keen to help others grow organically!

Norfolk Master Composter co-ordinator David being interviewed by local Wayland Radio about training new volunteers

Garden Organic has trained their first ‘Master Gardeners’ to help people and communities grow their own food

Islington Master Gardeners in training

This exciting programme is Local Food (Big Lottery) funded with kind support from Sheepdrove Organic Farm and local authorities in four regions. The programme is based on the national success of the Master Composter programme where Garden Organic recruit, train, and actively support community volunteers.

Our terrific Master Gardeners have already promoted grow your own to local communities with a number of events, talks, and articles, as well as offered 12 months support to households just starting to grow food.

Find out more

Islington programme

Warwickshire programme

South London programme

Norfolk – coming August 2010

Contacts us here