Date: 22^nd February 2011

Photo Opportunity: Thursday 24^th February 2011, Wish Park, Hove 10.00am

In September 2009, the Harvest project launched with the aim of helping more people in Brighton & Hove to grow their own and eat local food. As we enter our second growing season, the ‘grow your own bug’ has clearly bitten hundreds of new gardeners in the city!

The first new growing project to launch this year is in Wish Park, Hove, where the park gardener is leading a team of residents to setup a new community vegetable patch. Meanwhile, in Whitehawk, Harvest has helped local residents of Henfield Close who will be setting up their own allotment-style gardens on their estate. And with the help of local residents and volunteers, the Harvest demonstration vegetable garden in Preston Park is currently being expanded to double its previous size. More than a dozen other new community growing projects have started in the past year and there have been more than 15,000 visitors to the Harvest website, showing the growing interest in growing your own!

To celebrate these exciting new projects, we are inviting the media to attend the launch of the Wish Park garden with a photo opportunity at 10am. This inaugural workday at the park will take place on Thursday 24 February from 9.30am to 12.30pm.

“It seems like almost every day we are contacted by more people who want to start growing their own on land in their neighbourhood. We know this interest isn’t just a passing trend; it’s about improving our quality of life – reconnecting with healthier food, with outdoor spaces and with our neighbours. We can’t wait to see all these growing projects taking root in communities around the city.” said Jess Crocker, Harvest Manager at the Brighton & Hove Food Partnership.

"The creation of a community fruit and vegetable growing area in the park will provide a focal point for people of all ages - families, children, people living on their own - to come together to share skills and ideas about planting, tending and harvesting produce. We hope this project will encourage others to spread the word about the enjoyment and benefits of growing your own!" said local resident Sarah O’Dair.

Ends

For details about the photo opportunity including arranging to attend please contact the Food Partnership on 01273 431 700 or Gerald Flanagan, Wish Park gardener on 07795 335559.

For more information contact:

1. Jess Crocker, Harvest Manager, Brighton and Hove Food Partnership, Tel: 01237 431 700

2. Gerald Flanagan, senior gardener at Wish, Stoneham and Davies Parks, Tel: 07795 335559

Notes for Editors:

1. Harvest Brighton and Hove is a three-year, Big Lottery-funded project led by the Brighton and Hove Food Partnership, in partnership with Food Matters, the University of Brighton, The Brighton and Hove Allotment Federation, the Brighton Permaculture Association, Moulsecoomb Forest Garden and the Whitehawk Community Food Project. It is supported by Brighton and Hove City Council, and Brighton and Hove Teaching Primary Care Trust. www.harvest-bh.org.uk

 

2. Brighton & Hove Food Partnership is a not for profit organisation that works for better food for the city now and in the future. By better food, we mean food that is healthy, affordable, accessible and produced within environmental limits. We believe by working in partnership Brighton & Hove can achieve a sustainable food system. Details of our work are at: www.bhfood.org.uk.

 

3. Local Food has been developed by a consortium of 15 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.

Further information please visit www.localfoodgrants.org

4. RSWT: The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts 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.

 

5. Changing Spaces programme: 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.

 

6. The Big Lottery Fund: Is 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. www.biglotteryfund.org.uk.