Grow Organic - Community
Aim:The programme reduces inequalities in health and wellbeing by targeting hard to reach groups of Asian women and other community members from Bradford and district’s most deprived communities and engaging them in food growing, other life enhancing physical activities and healthy family lifestyle education. Programme workers directly support group development and engagement.
BCEP has an excellent record of, and reputation for, reaching the hard to reach groups that are being targeted through this programme, previous examples being Gardening for Health, Health thru’ Food and Sho Nirbhor. BCEP programmes have been used as a model of best practice by several national organisations including the Women’s Environment Network, BTCV and the Black Environment Network.
Programme activities:
Weeding on the plot
Weekly community sessions, growing food and taking part in outdoor, physical and associated activities (based around allotment plots and community settings). Women-only sessions will enable participants from Muslim and other communities to access the provision without embarrassment or fear of repercussions from their families. They will be women who otherwise do not access ‘mainstream’ leisure/physical exercise facilities. Working together regularly will build relationships and lead to improved mental wellbeing, as well as physical health.
Raising awareness of the potential of exercise through food growing and gardening.
Recruitment of groups and members is done through stimulating interest and responding to requests from the community, visiting other settings to offer taster and occasional sessions and providing stalls at events to promote and encouraging physical, outdoor food growing and associated activities.
Mouth-watering organic produce
Provision of fresh, seasonal, own-grown organic produce for regular groups to take home, with information on its healthy preparation. Women will save money and have access to organic produce, probably for the first time. They will also become acquainted with and appreciative of seasonal UK produce rather than expensive imported foodstuffs.
Cook & Eat session
Cook and eat/tasting sessions using seasonally available produce and own produce when available, supporting the 5-a-day message. This approach has been proven to be effective in extending women’s repertoire of recipes. It will also challenge the negative perceptions of ‘dirty’ produce and unevenly-sized vegetables with a few holes in the leaves.
Enjoying a visit to RHS Harlow Carr Gardens
Building confidence by promoting new activities, visits to new facilities and exploring opportunities to link with other agencies. This target group are unaware of many facilities available locally, and need support to access them.
Enabling and facilitating participation in ‘mainstream’ activities, eg Organic Show, WEN networking event and inter-generational allotment celebration.
Funding Body:
