School/Community Gardening Projects.
School gardening projects are a great way to get children exercising out in the fresh air, and the Governments ‘Learning Outside the Classroom’ Manifesto, launched in 2006 recognised the importance of young people experiencing the world beyond the classroom as part of their learning and development.
Local Fundraising
Community Fundraising Events such as school fairs, plant sales and auctions of promises
- The PTFA sometimes have funds available that can be used towards the school garden
- Local Sponsorship from companies in your area can also be a good place to start. Local branches of some of the big chains have a budget for community projects so it’s always worth checking
- Local Authorities and County Councils sometimes have resources available locally.
National Grants and Award Schemes
Awards For All
http://www.awardsforall.org.uk
A lottery grants scheme for local communities.
Awards for All Wales
http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/wales
Grants of between £500 and £5000 for projects involving people in their local community. Includes an environmental and educational focus. Supported by the Big Lottery Fund and Heritage Lottery Fund.
BBC Children In Need
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey/
Provides grants to benefit disadvantaged children and young people
Biffaward
http://www.biffaward.org/home
Awards projects which provide and/improve community spaces and places for outdoor recreation. It also supports projects that protect and enhance biodiversity.
Big Lottery Fund Community Programme
http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/index/funding-uk/communities/community_programmes.htm
Community based programmes to bring the local community together and improve the lives of the people that live within it. There are particular categories for local communities and community wildlife.
Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE)
http://www.cabe.org.uk
Education grants for imaginative teaching about design of buildings and public green space. One category of awards in 2008 was for use of the school grounds as a learning resource.
Community Spaces
http://community-spaces.org.uk
£50 million open grants programme supported by the Big Lottery Fund. It helps communities create and improve green open spaces, to make a difference to the local quality of life.
Continyou
http://www.continyou.org.uk
Runs awards scheme for schools and community groups. Check their website for the latest information.
Ernest Cook Trust
http://www.ernestcooktrust.org.uk
Provides grants of between £100 and £4000 (in small grants category) for the education of young people about the environment and countryside.
Esmee Fairbairn Foundation
http://www.esmeefairbairn.org.uk/
Aimed at improving the quality of life in the UK, primary interests include education, learning, the natural environment and enabling fuller participation by disadvantaged people in society. One project in 2010 provided £150,000 to the Sow & Grow Everywhere programme.
Fundraising for Schools
http://www.practicalfunding.co.uk
Monthly magazine with all the latest information on the sources of extra funding that are available to schools
Hilton in the Community Foundation
http://www.hilton-foundation.org.uk
Grants of up to £30,000 for activities in education & health to relieve suffering and equip young people. Particularly support is targeted at disabled children, children in hospital, homelessness and life-limited children.
Local Food Grants
http://www.localfoodgrants.org
£50 million programme supported by the Big Lottery Funds Changing Spaces Programme. It distributes lottery grants to a variety of food related projects to help make locally grown food accessible and affordable for local people.
Paul Hamlyn Foundation
http://www.phf.org.uk
runs an education & learning open grant scheme.
Princes Trust Community Cash Awards
http://www.princes-trust.org.uk/need_help/grants/community_cash_awards.aspx
Programme which provides grants of up to £3000 to help set up projects that benefit the local community. Included is support to help with the planning, research, and progression of the project.
Sita Trust
http://www.sitatrust.org.uk/
Supports community and environmental improvement projects through the Landfill Communities Fund.
Tesco Charity Trust Community Awards
http://www.tescocharitytrustcommunityawards-applications.co.uk/init.pl
The Tesco Charity Trust Community Awards Scheme provides one off donations of between £500 and £4,000. The funding is for equipment and resources for projects that directly benefit children, the elderly and adults and children with disabilities, living in the local communities around the Tesco stores.
The Conservation Foundation
http://www.conservationfoundation.co.uk
Creates and manages a variety of environmental award schemes. Check out their website to see those awards currently available.
The Links Foundation
http://www.linksfoundation.org
charitable trust distributing funds to communities in need of help.
The Royal Society
http://www.royalsociety.org
The Royal Society Partnerships Grants Scheme offers up to £3000 for projects where teachers and scientists work together to inspire young people.
Trusthouse Charitable Foundation
http://www.trusthousecharitablefoundation.org.uk
Foundation provides grants of up to £10,000 for a range of projects around healthcare and disability, community support & education and the arts.
Waitrose Community Matters
http://www.waitrose.com/branches/index.aspx
Waitrose's Community Matters initiative supports a wide range of charities and community groups. Each branch of Waitrose has £1,000 to share out between three local good causes each month. The scheme will consider supporting welfare organisations, community groups, schools or local divisions of national charities. To find out more about the scheme visit your local store, which you can find by clicking on the link above.
School gardening supports many government priorities like sustainability, healthy eating, food in schools and Eco schools.Contact with the natural world can also be wonderfully nurturing for children, as they make connections with natural environment, learn about the cyclic nature of the seasons, and begin to find out more about where their food comes from. It is often the children who find it hard to engage in the classroom, who really come into their own and are able to shine in the physical activity of the outdoors.
There are a whole myriad of ways in which the national curriculum can be delivered through school gardening. Here we give you just a flavour of what’s possible and include some useful links to more resources.
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