Thanks to a £246,000 grant from the City Bridge Trust, Capital Growth has begun  a three-year initiative to help protect existing gardens and increase opportunities for nature-friendly food growing across the capital. 

As part of our new focus, we are launching a Spotlight Garden programme to shine a light on the increasingly important role community food growing spaces and communities play in tackling the climate and nature emergency and to make the case for their protection.  

Spotlight Gardens are London-based food growing gardens that actively work to build community and climate resilience through food growing. Starting in September 2021, we will work with ten gardens each year to better understand and share their crucial role. Each month will feature a different Spotlight Garden to our networks, highlighting their individual experiences and food growing activities. 

Gardens will be supported for taking part, through a mix of funding and promotion, including: 

• A commissioning of each Spotlight Garden for their participation with £270 incl. VAT 

• Developing the communications campaign to promote via our website, social media platforms and newsletters 

• Help with the coordination of ticket sales and bookings for Spotlight Garden activities  

• Three complimentary tickets for garden volunteers / staff on any of the Capital Growth training sessions 

In addition to promoting each Spotlight Garden, the stories of the people behind them and their activities during their spotlight month, Spotlight Gardens will also benefit from additional support and Capital Growth’s training sessions. Spotlight Gardens will join a garden leader group to help guide our campaign to advocate for further protection of urban food growing spaces.  

We are inviting London-based Capital Growth member gardens with stories or interest in community and climate resilience to let us know they would like to be featured in our Spotlight Gardens programme by completing a short expression of interest form. You can find this form on the dashboard of your garden profile on the Good to Grow platform. 

If you are not yet a member of Capital Growth, you can join the network for free to make the most of a range of membership benefits whether you grow food in London at a school, home, allotment, or community garden. 

20/08/2021