Title: Food Growing Schools Summary: Update on activities and conferences. Website: www.foodgrowingschools.org Target school(s): All Specific schools Excluding VA schools For attention of: Headteachers Author: Maria Bada Contact: Maria C. Bada

Email: Telephone: Telephone: 0207 065 0889 / 07474210703

Date: 14 March 2016 Action required/ due date:

Food Growing Schools

Growathon Challenge Ready. Set. Grow! Join 10,000 young London growers for the biggest school food growing challenge of the year. Feed your city: grow one thing, and tell a friend today! Pass it on. Find out more here and join us on the Carrot Totaliser here: www.growathon.org.uk

School Conference 2016 Join the Food Growing Schools: London partnership! For a day of school gardening workshops, packed full of growing ideas, advice and hands-on activities led by London’s school food growing experts. Chris Collins has been confirmed as the keynote speaker for both events.

One conference. Two venues: - North London Conference - Tues 15 March 2016, Argyle Primary, Camden. (Book here) - South London Conference - Mon 11 April 2016, John Ruskin Primary, Southwark. Book here.

Find out more: Schools Conference 2016. Flyer attached.

2016 FGSL Conference Save the Date Flyer_FINAL_7Dec2015_web(2).pdf COMPETITIONS:

Grow on, film it! As part of the Food Growing Schools: London Growathon challenge Trees for Cities are asking pupils in London to make a short film about food growing at their school, as part of their Edible Playground project.

Short Film Competition: Grow on, film it! Make a short film about planting, sowing, growing, gardening, and harvesting healthy food at school! Join Edible Playgrounds and 10,000 young London growers for Food Growing Schools: London #Growathon – the biggest school food growing challenge of the year.

Give it a Grow NEW Offer on Twitter! Get your FREE set of growing cards, seeds and posters! Sign up to Give it a Grow today!

Spring is the perfect time to plan your growing space. Garden Organic have suggested some plants that are simple to grow, delicious to eat, and will grow happily and healthily in your pot.

- From Tuesday 23 February the first 10 schools to both register on the Give it a Grow pledge page and retweet the post on @FoodGrowSchools will get a set! Give it a Grow

Food for Life Grandparent Gardening Week Competition! Taking place from 14th-18th March 2016, Food for Life, managed by the Soil Association, is running our first national Grandparent Gardening Week. Participating Food for Life schools are invited to take part in a competition to blog about their Grandparent Gardening event, with the best blog winning a Vegtrug. Closing dates: midnight on Monday 18th April 2016. Find out more on: http://www.foodforlife.org.uk/whats-happening/grandparent- gardening-week

For more information and opportunities visit the Competitions and the Training pages on our website

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