Workshop hosted by Leighton Buzzard youth club to inspire gardeners of the future
An educational workshop offering young people a hands-on introduction to the joy and wellbeing benefits of growing plants from seeds, has been held in Leighton Buzzard.
It was hosted by The Children’s Society Leighton Buzzard Youth Club with Fothergill’s, the UK’s flower and vegetable seed specialist, launching its first 'The Seedling Story' workshop.
The workshop formed part of an 18-month skill-based programme offered to the charity’s 'Young Creative Partners', young people supported by the charity, from their Youth Clubs Network in Central Bedfordshire.
A long-term partner of The Children’s Society, Fothergill’s created ‘The Seedling Story’ workshop to foster a connection amongst young people about the joy and environmental benefits of growing plants and vegetables through hands-on learning and creative expression.
Those taking part were able to collaborate with garden designer Patrick Clarke about design features for the charity’s 'The Children's Society Garden' designed to shine a spotlight on the UK's teenage wellbeing crisis. The garden will feature at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show.
They also took part in a series of theme activity stations where they learnt about the diversity of plants and vegetables and explored the natural journey of a single seed, to a fully grown-plant whilst exploring different seed varieties.
Creative activities included how to build a wildlife garden, how to ‘pot on’ tomatoes and create botanical seed art. They also made a ‘Pollinator Promise’ pledge card learning about the important role insects and nature plays in the life cycle of pollination, and how to care and grow plants and vegetables from seed.
Patrick Clarke said: “Today’s workshop is an opportunity to inspire a life-long passion amongst young people, by encouraging them to engage with gardening and observe how plants grow and change through the seasons.
"After RHS Chelsea, ‘The Children’s Society Garden’ will be relocated to the charity’s Leighton Buzzard Youth Club where it will offer the young people they support a welcoming and nurturing outdoor space that will bring a sense of safety, peace and connection.”
Jo Goldsmith, Safe Practice Manager at Central Bedfordshire Services of The Children’s Society, said: “It was wonderful to see the young people we support in Central Bedfordshire become the very first group to take part in this new education initiative with Fothergill’s. I hope it gives them an insight into the wellbeing and joyous delight
of growing plants from seeds and how this can support both the natural world and their emotional wellbeing”.
Co-sponsored by The Children’s Society and Project Giving Back, ‘The Children’s Society Garden’ has been designed to help reverse the UK’s alarming decline in young people’s wellbeing - a crisis described by The Children’s Society as a ‘happiness recession’.
After the show, the garden will be permanently relocated to the charity’s Youth Club in Leighton Buzzard, where it will become The Children’s Society’s first outdoor wellbeing space for young people.