Annual Review
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Header Annual Review www.gardenorganic.org.uk Garden Organic – Annual Review 1 Introduction This Annual Review covers a period of success and progress for Garden Organic, from the start of 2013 to spring 2014. The financial figures and reports show continued consolidation of our position, and resilience in the face of challenging times in the fifth year of an unprecedented recession. Our success in delivering the Master Composter and the Lottery-funded Master Gardener schemes has been reflected in the number and range of these projects being renewed through alternative funding sources - testament both to the success of seed-corn funding and the beneficial outcomes, externally evaluated by Coventry University, which are demonstrating really meaningful impacts on the participants. Of particular note is the Master Gardener project at HMP Rye Hill, which commenced in March 2013, and which has proved successful beyond expectations in engaging a challenging offender group battling substance misuse. Our education work has also continued to deliver well in excess of anticipated outcomes - our success in securing the lead for Food Growing Schools: London was demonstrated by the engagement, within three months, of over 600 London schools in the autumn of 2013, and a range of exciting food growing opportunities. This reinforces our existing organic growing work in the Food for Life Partnership, which goes from strength to strength. This Annual Review provides in-depth analysis and considered comment on our range of activities, and I hope you will find it both interesting and informative. Paul Wilkinson Paul James Campbell Chief Executive Our vision is of a healthy and sustainable world that has embraced organic growing. Our purpose is to get more people growing organically. Our mission is to promote and advance the use of organic growing Patron: HRH The Prince of Wales President: Professor Tim Lang Vice-Presidents: Raymond Blanc, Garden Organic Chief Executive James Campbell, our Ambassador James Wong, our Thelma Barlow and Susan Hampshire Patron HRH The Prince of Wales and our Vice-President Raymond Blanc meet at our Chair of Trustees: Roger Key stand at The Edible Garden Show. 2 Garden Organic – Annual Review www.gardenorganic.org.uk Contents Programmes 4 Feature 17 To learn more about Garden The wonderful work of our Sharing skills across Europe Organic’s work and help us to volunteer mentors grow even more … LEADER 19 Feature 6 Growing sustainable Website: Impact of the Garden Organic communities www.gardenorganic.org.uk Master Gardener programme Email: Research 20 [email protected] Education 8 Expanding our knowledge Facebook: Learning to grow organically of organic growing GardenOrganicUK Twitter: Feature 10 Feature 22 @gardenorganicuk Horticultural therapy flourishes Growing Health Headquarters: Campaigns 12 Chief Executive 24 Ryton Organic Gardens, Coventry Fighting for an organic future Looking to the future CV8 3LG Just prefer to talk? Feature 13 Membership 25 Call us on 024 7630 3517. Bees – understanding the current Members update situation Finance 26 Heritage Seed Library 16 Our financial review Protecting our organic heritage Our new Annual Review iStock We would love to hear your views on the new style of our Annual Review. In response to previous feedback from our readership, we have now made this publication three times larger so that we can provide much more in-depth coverage of our work. You will find detailed explanations of our organic growing programmes, education projects, campaigns, Heritage Seed Library and research initiatives. And you can read a series of features on key issues and successes for our charity in 2013. We are very grateful to NFU Mutual for sponsoring this publication. We really hope that you find it enjoyable and useful – let us know what you think by emailing [email protected]. Design and print by CottierSidaway Every order from The Organic Gardening Catalogue helps support Garden Organic’s vital work. Order online at www.organiccatalogue.com or call 01932 253666. www.gardenorganic.org.uk Garden Organic – Annual Review 3 Programmes The wonderful work of our volunteer mentors Our Volunteer Mentor Networks Team coordinate and manage Medway, Somerset Community Food a number of programmes each designed to promote the and G4S, the global security solutions company. This is an important step core principles of organic horticulture and the benefits that forwards, allowing the Garden Organic composting and growing your own produce can bring. Master Gardener model to attract more sustainable funding streams in the future after the Big Lottery Fund’s Local Food programme ended in March 2014. The delivery model has been reviewed and continues to be adapted to ensure that we have a cost-effective and flexible approach to meet the needs of the multiple partners in the future. Our Master Gardener volunteers made these outstanding achievements across the eight networks, from the programme’s launch in May 2010 to the end of 2013: 23,572 volunteer hours Garden Organic Master Composters, Norfolk, in action. 5,012 people regularly mentored (including 1,783 under 16 years) 65,029 food-growing conversations held Garden Organic Master people of all ages – either encouraging 897 community events supported Composter programme householders to start composting at home for the first time or providing 112,925 website visits across all Our Master Composter programme is existing composters with guidance Master Gardener web-domains a national volunteer scheme delivered to ensure the momentum is kept. The in partnership with a range of local promotional activities of the Master For an in-depth feature on the impact authorities and waste companies. Composter volunteers are actively of the Garden Organic Master Gardener This programme, based on cascade diverting waste from landfill. It is programme see p6. learning, has continued to develop widely recognised that composting at through 2013 - with more than 60 home diverts around 150 kg of organic Conference new volunteers trained, and support waste per household per year from In September 2013, Garden Organic provided to more than 400 volunteer landfill. During 2013, more than 4,850 hosted its annual National Volunteer Master Composters across ten local Master Composter volunteer hours Masters Conference bringing together authority areas. were recorded! composting and growing mentors from across the UK to celebrate their The Master Composter volunteers Garden Organic Master proactively support and promote home achievements. More than 215 Master composting in their local communities. Gardener programme Gardeners, Master Composters, Sowing Volunteers are provided with training The Master Gardener team expanded New Seeds participants, Local Food upon becoming a Master Composter its existing networks by attracting 92 Project Coordinators and other like- to equip them with the knowledge new volunteers in 2013. Their training minded volunteers gathered at our and confidence to promote home involved five induction courses headquarters, Ryton Organic Gardens, composting. Methods of promotion in spring 2013, after ten weeks of in September for a day of activities to vary widely amongst volunteers recruitment in four networks. celebrate the work and achievements of building from their own strengths, the Masters volunteers network. including writing in parish council In addition to the five existing newsletters, holding regular Q&A networks in Warwickshire, Norfolk, A series of themed workshops took sessions on local radio, attending and Linconshire, North London and place across the day with subject areas holding stalls at public events, and South London, Garden Organic also including community composting, writing blogs. developed three commissioned wildlife gardening, soil science and fruit models for mentor networks. These growing advice. Guest speaker Professor Master Composters engage with new networks are with Public Health Chris Baines, a Garden Organic 4 Garden Organic – Annual Review www.gardenorganic.org.uk Programmes ambassador and campaigner for The Big Dig urban nature conservation, provided The Big Dig is a national project, led an inspirational speech on the nature by Sustain, which aims to get more of the future highlighting the actions people involved in community food required now to protect our natural growing. Garden Organic was the environment. partner organisation for Coventry and supported 18 community gardens The National Volunteer Masters Awards across the area. These included a Ceremony saw individual and group new community garden at University achievements across the Masters Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire, volunteer network recognised and where we engaged local businesses rewarded within four key categories to create the garden designed by our – Achievement Award; Master Award; gardens team. Innovation and Social Media Award; and Group Achievement Award. In total, the Big Dig project recruited, trained and supported a team of Garden Organic Sowing New 31 Master Gardeners in Coventry, Seeds project Together, they volunteered over Sowing New Seeds received a new 900 hours in 18 months. One of grant from the Supporting Change and these Master Gardeners manages a Impact Fund from the Big Lottery. The Cooking Zimbabwean Kale at Spitalfields City community garden and its produce overall aim of this one-year project Farm as part of our Garden Organic Sowing is all given to a local food bank, New Seeds project. was to further develop