Growing Gang initiative expands with pollinator partnership and handcrafted planters
- Growing Gang initiative provides early years settings with resources to teach children about food growing through hands-on vegetable cultivation
- Programme expanded this year through partnership with Pollinator Project, introducing pollinator-friendly seeds and educational resources about insects
- Guernsey Men's Shed volunteers constructed four wooden planting troughs using timber donated by Norman Piette
- Le Friquet Garden Centre donated seeds and compost to participating nurseries and pre-schools
- Initiative brings together multiple local organisations to support outdoor learning and healthy eating habits among young children
A health improvement initiative that teaches young children about food growing has expanded this year through new community partnerships, bringing pollinator education and handcrafted wooden planters to early years settings across Guernsey.
The Growing Gang programme, run by the Health Improvement Commission for Guernsey and Alderney, has completed another successful year of providing nurseries and pre-schools with resources to grow vegetables and develop children's understanding of where food comes from.
Le Friquet Garden Centre continued its support of the initiative by donating seeds and compost to participating settings, enabling children to engage in hands-on vegetable growing activities designed to encourage curiosity about food and foster positive relationships with vegetables from an early age.
This year saw the programme broaden its scope through a partnership with the Pollinator Project, which supplied pollinator-friendly seeds including marigolds, nasturtiums and poached egg plants, along with child-appropriate educational resources about bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects. The collaboration aimed to help children understand the connection between pollinators, plant growth and food production whilst supporting biodiversity.
The initiative received a further boost from Guernsey Men's Shed, whose volunteers constructed four wooden planting troughs for the programme. Member Tony Lewis led the construction at the Men's Shed workshop, assisted by fellow volunteers Dennis Wherry and Nick Jenkins, using timber donated by Norman Piette.
Nick Jenkins, chair of Guernsey Men's Shed, said: "Projects like this are exactly what Men's Shed is all about. They bring people together, allow members to share skills and experience, and create something that benefits the wider community. Tony put a huge amount of work into these planters and we are delighted to see them being used by children as part of the Growing Gang initiative for years to come."
Gordon Steele, chair of Pollinator Project, said: "We were thrilled to partner with Growing Gang this year. By introducing children to pollinator-friendly planting alongside growing vegetables, we're helping them understand the important connection between plants, pollinators and the food we eat. Small actions can make a big difference for nature, and it's never too early to start learning about biodiversity."
Sian Butt, manager at Little Rays of Sunshine, one of the participating settings, described the children's enthusiastic response to the programme. She said: "The children have absolutely loved taking part in Growing Gang this year. Watching vegetables and flowers grow has sparked so much excitement and curiosity. They've enjoyed getting their hands dirty, trying the vegetables they've grown and discovering the insects and pollinators that help plants to grow. It's been a fantastic initiative that has supported learning both indoors and outdoors."
Alex Kosmas, Eat Well lead at the Health Improvement Commission, said: "We're incredibly grateful to all of the organisations that helped make Growing Gang such a success this year. The support of the Pollinator Project, Guernsey Men's Shed, Norman Piette, and Le Friquet Garden Centre has enabled children to enjoy hands-on learning about food, nature and healthy habits. It's been fantastic to see local organisations come together to support our youngest learners."
The Health Improvement Commission for Guernsey and Alderney was established in October 2018 as part of Health and Social Care's Partnership of Purpose. The non-profit organisation and registered charity receives funding from the States of Guernsey under service level agreements and raises additional funds from charitable and private sector sources to deliver health improvement initiatives across the Bailiwick.
Q&A
Q: What is the Growing Gang initiative?
A: Growing Gang is a programme run by the Health Improvement Commission for Guernsey and Alderney that provides nurseries and pre-schools with resources to teach children about where food comes from through hands-on vegetable growing activities. It aims to encourage curiosity about food and help children develop positive relationships with vegetables from an early age.
Q: What new partnerships were added this year?
A: This year the programme partnered with the Pollinator Project, which provided pollinator-friendly seeds including marigolds, nasturtiums and poached egg plants, along with educational resources about bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects. Guernsey Men's Shed also contributed by building four wooden planting troughs using timber donated by Norman Piette.
Q: Who supports the Growing Gang initiative?
A: The initiative is supported by multiple local organisations including Le Friquet Garden Centre (which donates seeds and compost), the Pollinator Project, Guernsey Men's Shed, and Norman Piette. The Health Improvement Commission for Guernsey and Alderney runs the programme and receives funding from the States of Guernsey as well as charitable and private sector sources.
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