- 26 community groups awarded £2000 grant to transform green spaces
- Recipients from across the UK to receive expert training from Kew
- Grow Wild inspires people to grow, learn about nature and give back
- Scheme has reached over 350 of communities to date
26 local community groups have been awarded a £2000 grant from Grow Wild, the national outreach initiative from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The lucky recipients, drawn from all four corners of the UK, will also receive training from Kew experts to transform their community spaces into diverse nature havens, growing UK native plants and fungi.
Established in 2013, Grow Wild was set up to champion nature and support communities across the UK. Grow Wild’s aim is simple: to inspire people to take action to support nature and reap the benefits of connecting with the natural world, from creating diverse and thriving habitats, fostering resilient communities, creating social connections and supporting wellbeing and creativity.
Celebrating the best of UK native plants and fungi, Grow Wild initiatives have been joined by over four million people online and on the ground, with 1.62 million people coming together to grow wildflowers in shared urban spaces. Grow Wild’s digital schemes have so far inspired nearly five million online actions for UK native plants and fungi, including one million pledged by people between the ages of 12-25.
Grow Wild’s focus on UK native wildflowers has never been more vital; since the 1930s, we’ve lost 97 per cent of UK wildflower meadows. Native wildflowers are of particular importance as many of them have adapted to grow over thousands of years, evolving alongside other native wildlife. The relationship between wildflowers and pollinators is also vital, with fewer wildflowers having a detrimental impact on pollinator populations. This in turn impacts flowering plants and the crops we rely on to sustain us.
Amongst the recipients of this year’s grants are the Growing Together Project, which is part of Enable Glasgow’s Fortune Works service in Drumchapel, one of Scotland’s largest social enterprises for people with learning difficulties. The Triax Social Economy Project in Derry will be using their grant to plant out a native wildflower meadow, as well as growing fresh fruit and vegetables to provide free produce for the community’s social supermarket. In Wales, the 7th Whitchurch Brownies will take on the challenge of transforming the small garden at the back of their hall to learn about biodiversity, growing plants and cultivating habitats for wildlife. In London, Stepney City Farm’s Greenacre care group will use their grant to start growing mushrooms on the farm, converting an old shed into a grow room to learn more about fungi.
The full list of 2024 grant winners are:
Scotland: Active Communities, Johnstone; Andalus, Glasgow; Growing Together Project, Fortune Works, Enable Glasgow; Kintyre Grows, Campbeltown; Yusuf Youth Initiative, Dundee
Northern Ireland: Belfast YMCA, Belfast; Headin2Horticulture, H.E.A.R.T Project, Belfast; Triax Social Economy Project, Derry
Wales: 7th Whitchurch Brownies, Cardiff
England: All Saints Action Network, Wolverhampton; Athelstan Road Tenants and Residents Association, Margate; Bethnal Green Nature Reserve Trust, London; Cultivate London, London; The De La Warr Pavilion Charitable Trust, Bexhill-on-Sea; East Marsh United; Grimsby; Growing Matters for Lefroy Road, Norwich; Harmony Gardens, London; Leeds International Piano Competition; Leeds, Livingstone Community Garden, Birchfield Neighbourhood Forum, Birmingham; Nether Edge and Sharrow Sustainable Transformation, Sheffield; Northamptonshire Mind, Northamptonshire; Rainbow Surprise, Manchester; Rock Paper Scissors CIC, Ipswich; Stepney City Farm, London; Wild Roots Community Projects, Newcastle Upon Tyne; Your Place, London
This year, Grow Wild’s Community Programme received a phenomenal 139 applications from 83 towns and cities across the UK.
Julia Willison, Head of Learning and Participation at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, said: “It’s wonderful to be able to award our Grow Wild grants for 2024 to such a diverse range of groups and projects, all of which are united by their shared love of the natural world and a drive to make a difference to their local communities. We know that nature is increasingly under threat, but when people come together, they connect more meaningfully and find creative ways in which to address environmental concerns.”
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, is dedicated to harnessing the power of plants and fungi to end the extinction crisis and secure a future for all life on Earth. With Kew’s world-leading research, global partnerships, and beloved gardens – home to the world’s most diverse collections of plants and fungi – Kew is using its trusted voice to shape policy and practice worldwide. As a charity Kew relies on the critical support of its visitors, not only to sustain the gardens, but to protect global plant and fungal biodiversity for the benefit of our planet and humanity.
ENDS
For further information please contact: PR@kew.org
Images: https://we.tl/t-zbzTHk3RmQ
About Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a world-famous scientific and horticultural institution and conservation charity, whose mission is to understand and protect plants and fungi for the wellbeing of people and the future of all life on Earth. It is internationally respected for its outstanding collections, horticultural and scientific expertise in plant and fungal diversity, conservation and sustainable development in the UK and around the globe. Kew Gardens, with its 132 hectares of historic, landscaped gardens, is also a major attraction for international and London visitors alike. Dating back to 1759, the site has a rich history and was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2003. Combined visitor numbers with Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex, total over 2.5 million per year. Wakehurst is home to the Millennium Seed Bank, the largest wild plant seed bank in the world and a safeguard against the disastrous effects of climate change and biodiversity loss. RBG Kew receives approximately one third of its funding from the UK Government through the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and research councils, with the remaining two thirds coming from supporters, sponsors, memberships and commercial activity including ticket sales. This enables RBG Kew to carry out its vital scientific and educational work. For tickets and membership options, please visit our website. Since implementing a new accessibility scheme for those in receipt of Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Legacy Benefits, Kew has welcomed over 88,000 visitors with £1 tickets across both UK sites.
About Grow Wild
Grow Wild is the national outreach learning initiative of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Kew is a world leader in science and education. Its vision is a world where plants and fungi are understood, valued and conserved – because all our lives depend on them. Grow Wild is integral to Kew’s strategic priorities as it engages new audiences outside of Kew’s two botanic gardens. We’re part of Kew’s Learning and Participation team. This team engages audiences with Kew’s science collections and horticulture through formal and informal learning programmes and community engagement.
Grow Wild is supported by the National Lottery Community Fund and through private donors and corporate sponsors. We deliver scale, impact and profile for businesses and charitable funders. We’re also supported by our lively partnership network. This includes charities, youth groups, local authorities, education groups, health providers, social housing landlords, businesses, and central government, plus the UK's social change broadcaster, Together TV.