One Planet Matters was created to enable environmental and social change through 3 clear pathways. Action, understanding & education.
The action part of what we have set out to do is focused on the creation of a
"Growing Communities Network". and since November we have started to develop our community network.
Click here to see where we are active. The One Planet Matters
Growing Communities Network creates positive environmental and social outcomes for the communities involved. How?
We work to enable communities, councils, environmental groups, and others to create or support growing spaces. These growing spaces are linked together within a geographic area. We combine this with our School and community orchard project to develop a network that grows fresh healthy food.
Visit our Facebook page here to see some of the projects
How is this environmentally positive?
When we are working on a growing project we produce a plan that combines veg growing with companion planting. We provide information on plants for pollinators and support the community with resources and volunteers. We help plan and create bug hotels, ponds and plant both trees and hedging to create improved biodiverse growing areas. There are also clear health and well-being benefits for those involved in growing and looking after fruit and vegetable growing areas, as well as having access to fresh healthy fruit and veg. Our work in schools is important in showing young children where food comes from and we hope that it also develops an interest which they might come back to later in life.
The social benefits of our Growing Communities Network initiative are as important as the environmental ones. When we are developing a growing community we will carry out surveys and work with focus groups etc to explore the need and possible locations that might be suitable for developing. As part of this process, the community itself identifies groups within the community that could be supported with fresh local produce. This could be food banks, care homes, single parent cooking classes, etc
How? Local volunteers will pick up from all our locations in the locality and deliver to identified groups - We are currently developing an app that will also enable local allotment holders, individual households, and locations where there is free fruit to also be included in the community.
Help us develop our Growing Communities Network. Support environmental and social change today by donating. Thank youThe pics are from some of the growing communities we are supporting,
We are looking for volunteers who are interested in the environmental and social benefits of creating community growing networks in their location. We will support you in creating a growing community/community orchard in your area. We will then support you in expanding the network by helping you develop links with local primary schools, local allotments and local environmental groups.
example a community growing area can be linked to growing supporting local primary schools or working with local environmental groups. The community network will grow and the network itself identifies which groups it would like to share the fresh healthy sustainable biodiverse local produce with. Become a growing communities volunteer and make a BIG difference.
