We are celebrating another successful year of our Growing Gang initiative, which has brought together early years settings, local businesses, community organisations and volunteers to help children discover where food comes from through hands-on vegetable growing activities.
Thanks to the continued support of Le Friquet Garden Centre, which generously donated seeds and compost, Growing Gang provided participating nurseries and pre-schools with everything they needed to start growing their own vegetables. The initiative encourages curiosity about food, helps children understand where it comes from and supports the development of positive relationships with vegetables from an early age.
This year's programme expanded beyond vegetable growing through a new partnership with the Pollinator Project, which provided participating settings with pollinator-friendly seeds, including marigolds, nasturtiums and poached egg plants, alongside child-friendly resources about bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects. The additional resources helped children learn about the important role pollinators play in growing food and supporting biodiversity.
The initiative also benefited from the generosity and skills of volunteers from Guernsey Men's Shed. Four handcrafted wooden planting troughs were built at the Men's Shed workshop by member Tony Lewis, with assistance from fellow volunteers Dennis Wherry and Nick Jenkins. Constructed from timber generously donated by Norman Piette, the project is another example of local organisations working together to benefit the wider community while giving children even more opportunities to grow vegetables and flowers as part of their outdoor learning activities.
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.
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.
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.
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.
For more information about the initiative and to watch our Growing Gang video which shows the project in action click the link below: