OurOur work work in 2014 in 2014 Introduction

This Annual Review covers the year 2014 and reflects a positive upturn for Garden Organic.

Like many charities, Garden Organic struggled during the recession, spending more than it earned to protect key services for organic growing and gardening. That situation has now been resolved, and after a very modest deficit in 2013, the charity returned to a healthy surplus in 2014, confirmed by the figures contained in this review.

We had a positive year across the board in 2014, getting out and about to shows, exhibitions and events the length and breadth of the country to meet members, supporters and new organic growers, and to consult with these groups as widely as possible. From Scotland to , from Salford to Norfolk, we connected and engaged with a variety of audiences.

Our return to financial health allows us to plan and invest for the future. We intend to be more active across the whole of the United Kingdom, bringing organic best practice and knowledge to growers and gardeners as conveniently as possible. Our work in educating and informing new audiences continues to expand – from primary schools to prisons – and with the key organic health and wellbeing agendas at the heart of our work.

Commitment to plants, people and communities – raising the banner for the organic way – continues to lie at the centre of all that we do. This Annual Review provides in-depth analysis and detail on all our activities, and I hope you will find it a rewarding read.

James Campbell Chief Executive

Garden Organic brings together thousands of people who share a common belief – that organic growing is essential for a healthy and sustainable world. Through campaigning, advice, community work and research, our aim is to get everyone growing the organic way.

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 with its benefits for plants, people and communities.

Patron: HRH The Prince of Wales, KG, KT, GCB Breckland Master Gardeners plant seedlings with President: Professor Tim Lang, PhD, FFPH visitors at the Festival on the Farm 2014 in Norfolk. Vice-Presidents: Thelma Barlow, Raymond Blanc and Susan Hampshire Chair of Trustees: Roger Key This Annual Review is kindly sponsored by NFU Mutual

2 Garden Organic – Annual Review www.gardenorganic.org.uk Contents

Sustainable Communities 4 Creating healthy and sustainable communities

Feature 6 Encouraging home composting

Education 8 Discovering the organic way

Feature 10 Food Growing Schools: London

Heritage Seed Library 11 New opportunities for heritage varieties 6 8 Feature 12 Save Our Seeds Campaign

Appeals 13 How your donations are helping us grow

Feature 14 Our next step for sharing knowledge Finance 16 10 Our financial performance in 2014

Membership 17 Members’ update

Chief Executive 18 Looking to the future

To learn more about Garden Organic’s work and help us to grow even more … 9

Website: www.gardenorganic.org.uk Email: [email protected] 11 Facebook: GardenOrganicUK Twitter: @gardenorganicuk Headquarters: Ryton Organic Gardens, , CV8 3LG Just prefer to talk? Call us on 024 7630 3517.

Design and print by Right Click Creative Ltd. 12 Every order from The Organic Gardening Catalogue helps to 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 Sustainable Communities Creating healthy and sustainable communities

Our food growing and composting programmes continued to go from strength to strength during 2014. These projects are working with many different groups in the community, but they all have at their core the promotion and advancement of the organic message.

Attendees at our National Volunteer Masters Conference 2014.

Garden Organic Master commissioned interventions in the from reoffending. The success of the Gardener programme local areas. Together with commissions programme at HMP Rye Hill has been in some new areas, we ended the independently evaluated by Coventry As the Local Food (Big Lottery) funding year working with Master Gardener University. It reports that participants for our Master Gardener Programme networks in seven areas of England. in the garden project have experienced came to an end in March 2014, we Our programmes in the London a wide range of benefits, including took the opportunity to celebrate the Boroughs of Camden and Islington, noticeable improvements in their outstanding achievements of our Warwickshire, Lincolnshire, Breckland, physical and emotional health, social volunteers. Since the project started in Medway, Leicestershire and at HMP wellbeing, skills and employability. 2010, 609 Master Gardeners have been Rye Hill, near Rugby, are all funded by To read the report visit trained and they have given regular Public Health. www.gardenorganic.org.uk/rye-hill. support to 5,949 people to grow their own food. These dedicated volunteers The Rye Hill Garden Project Garden Organic Master have contributed more than 26,700 hours of their time and had more than At HMP Rye Hill, offenders recovering Composter Programme 77,000 food growing conversations in from substance misuse have been Our Master Composters are volunteers the wider community. To offer an in- taking part in our first Master Gardener who spend time promoting home depth insight into the health, social and Programme run in a prison. The Rye composting in their local community, environmental impacts of the Master Hill Garden Project is delivered in encouraging householders to take Gardener Programme, we published a conjunction with Substance Misuse up composting and ensuring that booklet called ‘Growing for Health and Services and G4S, which operates those already composting do so Happiness’ at the end of 2014. For more the prison, and it is funded by Public effectively. Garden Organic delivers see www.mastergardeners.org.uk. Health England (Northamptonshire). this national volunteer scheme in The main aims are to assist offenders’ partnership with a wide range of local Moving on from the Local Food personal recoveries and to improve authorities and waste companies. funding, we managed a successful their health and wellbeing, whilst During 2014, we supported 538 transition of the Master Gardener allowing them to develop new skills active Master Composters, working in networks into becoming Public Health and progress towards lives free collaboration with ten local authority

4 Garden Organic – Annual Review www.gardenorganic.org.uk Sustainable Communities

areas in England. Together, the Master Growing exotic and worker supported residents to plan, Composter volunteers contributed unusual crops establish and maintain productive growing areas within the estate. She a total of 5,066 volunteer hours Our Sowing New Seeds project has helped them to take ownership of the promoting home composting in their enabled communities across the project and get involved from the start local communities during 2014 (for Midlands to grow exotic crops and, in the decision-making process. more see p6). thanks to funding from the Patsy Wood Trust, we were able to develop This project consisted of a series Grow and Eat and extend aspects of this project of weekly gardening workshops, in 2014. Activities centred around Grow and Eat is a one-year project covering a variety of topics related practical training events, providing funded by Warwickshire County to food growing. The gardening opportunities for people to learn Council and Orbit Housing Association. group reclaimed two large communal about growing and using multicultural It has focused on the users, staff growing beds for edible crops, and crops. One of these involved a highly and volunteers of food banks in the installed a large potting shed to successful series of courses for Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick turn into a beautifully decorated hub young people to learn about growing districts, and has aimed to improve for the project. By the end of the multicultural crops for niche markets. their knowledge and skills around summer, the residents had harvested Attendees came from a wide range food growing, healthy eating, cooking and enjoyed eating lots of delicious, of backgrounds, including students and a healthy lifestyle (provided by fresh lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, from horticultural colleges and clients food growing). The approach has beetroots, herbs, peas, runner beans from Coventry refugee centre, and included developing and piloting and strawberries. This gardening group from many different cultures (the different growing workshop sessions has also helped to break down barriers UK, Japan, Iran, India and Eritrea). within food banks, providing basic between different social and ethnic This funding from the Patsy Wood food growing training for staff and groups on the estate. It has brought Trust also allowed us to maintain our volunteers, and developing a resource them together in a sociable, fun and exotic plant and seed collections, and kit for them to use with clients. interactive way, and fostered a greater our Exotic Garden at Ryton for their sense of belonging and community ongoing use as educational resources. cohesion. A food bank user said: “It’s Grow Clyde Road lovely to see the plants in Growing Health Grow Clyde Road was set up to Growing Health is a national project yoghurt pots and cuttings in a support residents of Peabody’s Clyde run jointly by Garden Organic and jam jar, because we can do that Road estate in Haringey, London, Sustain, the alliance for better food at home - it looks so easy.” through the creation of an active and farming. Growing Health’s vision is gardening group. Peabody is one of the that community food growing should oldest and largest housing providers be a natural part of health service in London, owning and managing more To date, 32 workshop sessions have provision. Following a successful than 27,000 homes across the capital been delivered across 10 food bank first phase, The Tudor Trust agreed that house around 80,000 residents. locations. These sessions have to provide additional funding for In 2014, a Garden Organic sessional focused on encouraging people to continued support of the Growing grow winter salads, herbs, summer Health network. In the second produce, sprouting beans, microgreens, phase, we will continue to support some exotic crops and edible flowers. community food growing groups to In order to minimise any barriers develop links with the health service to growing, we have encouraged and gain commissions for their people to grow in containers using activities - addressing the barriers the spaces they have available, such that they are currently facing. We will as windowsills. Food bank staff, also continue to: raise awareness volunteers and clients have been among commissioners and health encouraged to take away plants in professionals about the benefits of pots, grow them on at home and then using community food growing as part eat them. To date, almost 200 food of health service provision; broaden bank clients and 90 staff/volunteers the evidence base for the benefits of have engaged with the project and food growing for health; and expand taken plants, growing cards and Growing Health communications recipes away to try. Residents get growing activities to a wider audience. on the Clyde Road estate. www.gardenorganic.org.uk Garden Organic – Annual Review 5 Feature Encouraging home composting

Composting is a cornerstone of sustainable living. That is why Garden Organic has been working to develop composting techniques and promote home composting for more than 15 years.

Volunteer achievements We are currently supporting 538 Master Composters, working in collaboration with ten local authority areas in England. These are Norfolk, Suffolk, Leicestershire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Solihull and Coventry. Each year, we are astounded by the contributions that these volunteers make to the programme.

During 2014, these dedicated volunteers recorded a staggering 5,066 volunteer hours. That is 5,066 hours spent promoting home composting in local communities around the UK. County shows, village fetes, school open days, open gardens, parish magazines, online blogs, community gardens, demonstration sites - our Master Composters have been there! Over the year, we estimate that these Master Composters receiving training at Ryton. volunteers communicated with at least 20,000 people.

The pioneering work of our How it works Sustainable Communities Team Our Master Composters The Garden Organic Master Composter in establishing Master Composter recorded 5,066 volunteer Programme was established in 2001. schemes across the country, and With so much experience, we are hours in 2014. training home composting/recycling able to offer a wide range of services advisors, has helped to bring and resources that local authorities composting into the mainstream. The or NGOs (non-governmental Garden Organic Master Composter Sharing skills organisations) wishing to establish a Programme is based on cascade Each year, we hold a National Master Composter scheme can buy into. learning, whereby volunteers are Volunteer Masters Conference at our Garden Organic offers the technical given training and then supported to charity’s Warwickshire headquarters, expertise necessary for the scheme, go out into their local communities Ryton Organic Gardens. This gives our and provides various options for the to promote home composting. The volunteers an opportunity to learn day-to-day operational support of the role of a Master Composter involves about new organic techniques and volunteers. We supply introductory and encouraging householders to take research through a series of talks in-service training courses, promotional up composting and ensuring that and workshops, whilst sharing best resources, and a technical support those already composting are doing practice and networking with other package of information and advice so effectively. These volunteers come volunteers in the Masters schemes. on home composting. Through these from many backgrounds and age 150 volunteer Master Composters services, we are able to provide both groups, but their unifying feature is and Master Gardeners from across the reactive and proactive support to their enthusiasm for encouraging country came to the last conference volunteers to maintain their enthusiasm more environmentally friendly waste in June 2014, which was kindly for the Master Composter scheme. management practices. sponsored by NFU Mutual and Straight

6 Garden Organic – Annual Review www.gardenorganic.org.uk Feature

growing organically. In particular, Garden Organic will be spreading the message that garden compost and green manures - used as part of an organic growing regime - can ensure soils remain healthy and fertile. We will be producing a Soil Information Pack and will make this available both online and as a hard copy for groups, volunteers and gardeners around the country.

The future of home composting

Worcestershire Master Since our Master Composter Composter Jeremy Thomas programme started, we have seen great shifts in the waste industry; not least the increasing importance Worcestershire Master Composter managed, be effective, and so on? being placed on waste as a resource. Jeremy Thomas says: “I was first And would I ever learn to make good A much greater emphasis has been attracted to the Master Composter compost, after so many years of put on targets to reduce waste being scheme after a number of years trying? Now as I start my 8th year as sent for disposal, and to increase reuse spent volunteering with varying a Master Composter, I can definitely and recycling rates. General waste degrees of satisfaction with several recommend it to anyone who is collections have reduced in frequency, very different organisations, actively interested in gardening, whereas separate household food so I came to it with not a little and meeting and talking with like- waste collections have increased to scepticism – how would it work, be minded people.” serve the ever expanding anaerobic digestion industry, which uses this waste to produce biogas and biofertilizers. Plc. The National Volunteer Masters focused on the creatures active Conference 2015, which will again within the composting process – There can be no argument that be sponsored by NFU Mutual, will be these are free to download from moves have been made in the right held on 19 September. www.homecomposting.org.uk. And direction, but at Garden Organic we later in the year, we will be unveiling believe that there is still much more Building on success an exciting Creature Trail within the to be done. The benefits of dealing Compost and Soil Fertility Garden with organic waste at home still far Our Master Composter Programme at Ryton Organic Gardens. This trail outweigh those of resource hungry, will continue to expand and develop will be designed to take you through mechanical centralised processes. Our throughout 2015 with training the composting process, highlighting Master Composters are playing a vital opportunities for new volunteers in the bacteria, fungi and invertebrates role in encouraging fellow residents many of our existing networks. We populating your bin or heap. During in their local communities to take also hope to expand the reach of 2015, we will also continue to support responsibility for their waste, and to these programmes by launching new the creation of compost demonstration compost at home. partnerships, in new geographical areas across the UK; working examples areas with local authorities and set up by our Master Composters that non-governmental organisations. show people the various ways in which Support for individual Master A home compost bin can divert they can compost at home. Composter volunteers will continue 150 kilograms of waste per to improve, and we will be developing 2015 has been declared as the household, per year, according our knowledge and resource base ‘International Year of Soils’ by the to figures produced by the throughout the year through various United Nations General Assembly. campaigns. Waste and Resources Action So throughout the year we will Programme (WRAP). also be spreading the word about As part of International Compost the importance of soil health, and Awareness Week (May 4 to 10), we how we can safeguard our soils by produced a range of resources www.gardenorganic.org.uk Garden Organic – Annual Review 7 Education Discovering the organic way

Our charity’s aim is to get more people growing organically, so this is the focus of our education projects. We want everyone involved to experience the benefits of growing food, learning about the environment and taking part in healthy, hands-on activities.

charities involved in the Food for year will see a programme of activities, FfLP Life Partnership, which has been training and events to kick-start commissioned by the Department changes to school meal provision and for Education (DfE) to support the support schools on their journey to delivery of the Government’s School transforming school food culture. Food Plan in the Midlands, London For more information visit and the North. An independent School www.foodforlife.org.uk/takeup. Food Plan report highlighted that the key to a viable school meals service National training for schools is not reducing food costs, but In 2014, we delivered 28 organic increasing overall take up so that growing training sessions, and money goes further. developed training sessions for early years settings. The training we offer The DfE responded to this report with ranges from starting organic growing £4.8 million of funding nationally, in a school to getting down to the which led to the launch of the nitty-gritty of how to produce the ‘Increase Your School Meal Take Up’ best compost. programme in September 2014. This programme is designed to kick-start We are flexible in what we can an increase in school meal numbers offer schools. We are continuously and ensure that more children benefit developing our training offers, so they from a healthy lunch, including those A pupil looking forward to his healthy lunch are engaging, worthwhile and cover at a Food for Life Partnership school. pupils who qualify for free school exactly what teaching professionals meals. It will also equip schools with need. We are developing several new the ideas, clear actions and evidence training sessions to take forward to needed as part of Ofsted’s new Food Growing Schools: London the rest of 2015 and beyond. These inspection framework around healthy This initiative, managed by Garden will capture the most recent changes eating and positive food culture. The Organic, aims to support every school to the National Curriculum, and programme brings together the whole in London to become a food growing interpret them in a way that links school community - leaders, cooks school. Our goal is to bring together organic growing to new and existing and students - to develop fresh ideas all of the components for a successful areas of the curriculum in a fun and around school meals, and it includes and sustainable food growing project. informative way. This includes volunteers, resources, free training, action plans and expert regional support. support for linking growing to the Social and therapeutic school curriculum, and links to local horticulture businesses. Garden Organic is working with schools in the to Horticultural therapy can help to Food Growing Schools: London was develop individual support packages build confidence, improve funded by the Big Lottery Fund and that meet schools’ needs - whether communication and social skills, The Mayor’s Office in autumn 2013 they feel that they just need some new facilitate new learning and, of course, for three years. This partnership ideas or are starting out on a journey provide healthy food too. Garden involves Garden Organic, the Royal to Michelin-standard school meals! Organic has two organic horticultural Horticultural Society, Morrisons These packages will include specially therapy projects running at Ryton (Let’s Grow), Capital Growth, Food for designed resources, workshops and Organic Gardens – Growing Enterprise Life Partnership (FfLP), School Food practical cooking sessions on a and Growth. Both of these have Matters and Trees for Cities working ‘Cooking Bus’ to share what schools continued to flourish over the past year. together to support the aims of the have achieved and inspire change. project (for more see p10). Students who attend our Growing This support is available to junior, Enterprise project have learning middle, secondary and SEN (Special Increase Your School Meal difficulties and/or challenging Educational Needs) schools and PRUs behaviour. Students from seven Take Up (Pupil Referral Units) and many have local schools and colleges have Garden Organic is one of five already registered for this help. This enjoyed learning about growing food

8 Garden Organic – Annual Review www.gardenorganic.org.uk Education

Participants in the Growth project with Education Officer Elaine Hibbs horticultural therapy projects, with ten and national award-winning volunteer Eric Barnes (both centre–left). dedicated individuals helping regularly on sessions throughout the year. This includes Garden Organic’s longest serving volunteer, Eric Barnes, who won The Great British Growing Awards’ Garden Volunteer of the Year 2015.

Ryton Organic Gardens During 2014, we worked to make some changes in the garden to help us support the delivery of our organic messages. This included replanting the entrance garden. In this area, we showcase some key organic methods including; no-dig gardening, pest and disease management, and crop rotation.

We hosted educational visits for local schools at Ryton Organic Gardens in 2014. We also held a wider range of courses for visitors than in previous years. Following feedback from our members and the general public, we offered courses such as Earth Oven Cookery and Natural Christmas Decorations, alongside organic growing sessions such as Compost Magic and Seed Saving. Over the next year, we are looking forward organically and looking after Garden Midlands Network Flower Show in to delivering an even more varied Organic’s wildlife. The enterprising Stourbridge. This show was attended programme of courses which will activities carried out during their by around 20 horticultural therapy include some delivered by staff from weekly sessions help the students projects from all over the region and, the Centre for Alternative Technology. develop many important skills despite some very high quality entries and complement their studies, and in the competition, the Growth team often help to meet requirements for very proudly won seven medals for educational qualifications. Recent their work. activities have included selling vegetables, plants, soups, grow kits We are very grateful to the volunteers and fresh salad bags, all made with who continue to support both of our their own harvests.

During the summer holidays, two students from Brooke School, Rugby, Our Growth were also given work experience horticultural therapy opportunities and this year a student from Arc School, Nuneaton, is excited to be joining us. Growing Enterprise James, who has been is sponsored by The Daylesford attending our Growth Foundation and The Sheldon Trust. horticultural therapy sessions since 2003, says Our Growth project, working with “It’s good exercise and the adults with learning difficulties and/ jobs are different every or health conditions, had a fantastic week. Coming to Growth growing season in 2014, with plenty helps me to eat healthy of harvests to enjoy. They often had a food because I can take surplus, which was used by the chef home some of the fruit and at Fusca, the café at Ryton Organic vegetables that we grow. Gardens. The highlight of the year for We work hard but we have the Growth team was taking some of a lot of fun.” their produce and crafts to The West www.gardenorganic.org.uk Garden Organic – Annual Review 9 Feature Food Growing Schools: London

Food Growing Schools: London has an ambitious aim to encourage every school in London to grow its own food.

Year-round project activities also include: • campaigning at national, London and borough-wide events to ensure that the message of food growing is

Eleonore De Bonneval Eleonore promoted; • signposting to help schools find the information, resources and networks they need to start or develop their food growing; • matchmaking to help connect schools with local networks, potential volunteers and community support; • developing additional support where there are gaps in resources and training, in conjunction with our Rosie Boycott, Mayor of London Food Advisor and Thomasina Miers, former Masterchef winner, partners; and with pupils at the launch of Food Growing Schools: London, June 2014. • engaging with partners and local organisations to ensure the project is rolled out to as many schools as possible. Garden Organic has engaged with have engagement officers in every almost 700 London schools from London borough. We hope to offer across 33 boroughs since the project’s support and training, where required, At the end of our first year, an launch in early 2014. This has been in the School Food Plan Flagship independent evaluation by The achieved with the support of our boroughs of Lambeth and Croydon University of West of England showed partners Capital Growth, the Food for during 2015. that London schools are increasing Life Partnership, Morrisons (Let’s Grow), their participation in food growing, the Royal Horticultural Society, School Working in partnership with other and finding our project useful in Food Matters and Trees for Cities. organisations is also crucial to helping them to do so. achieving our goal. It enables us to Engaging every London school create: a stronger network of support Looking ahead The ultimate aim of this project is to for schools; a forum for sharing and Food Growing Schools: London is demonstrate how every school, and developing ideas; and a wider base for funded by the Big Lottery Fund and the community it serves, can benefit campaigning. So far our partnership The Mayor’s Office until the end of from food growing. To achieve this, work has included collaborating on 2016. In years two and three of the we are helping school leaders, staff events, competitions, awards schemes, project, we will continue developing and volunteers find the skills and volunteer activities and training. support for schools and, with the confidence needed to help embed help of local community and project growing across all school activities. How it works partners, we will engage more schools The Food Growing Schools: London that have yet to discover the many For schools, this means building project team, led by Garden Organic, benefits of food growing. stronger relationships – fostered by uses a diverse range of activities food - with their communities. With the to engage schools and community Extensive research shows that school support of local businesses, volunteers support. Each term schools are invited food growing can have a positive and other community groups, students to participate in new, themed activities, impact on health, the economy, who are helped to grow food enjoy such as Grow Your Own Picnic, Grow education, community cohesion and better attainment, health and wellbeing Your Own Business and Grow Around the environment within the wider - whilst bringing the community the World. Each campaign comes with community. To read more about this together for mutual benefit. free resources, competitions, events, research and the Food Growing training opportunities for schools and Schools: London project visit We are also working with local partner collaboration. www.foodgrowingschools.org. authorities to support schools, and

10 Garden Organic – Annual Review www.gardenorganic.org.uk Heritage Seed Library New opportunities for heritage varieties

Our Heritage Seed Library (HSL) has been protecting hundreds of rare vegetable varieties for 40 years, but we are always looking for new ways to encourage more growers.

Distributing seed Our Historic and Botanic Garden seeds to us in 2014. This equates to We included 173 varieties from our Bursary Scheme student, Claire over 34,000 seed packets, which is collection in the Heritage Seed Library Moore, grew a display of seeds from considerably higher than the previous Catalogue 2014, with 9 varieties new our partners in the European Union three years. We produce an ‘Orphans to the catalogue of which 4 of these funded Grundtvig and Leonardo List’ each year of HSL varieties in were exotic varieties. We distributed programmes, in The Heritage Seed need of seed savers and 72 of our 24,000 seed packets in total, which Library garden at Ryton. Claire also guardians offered to grow these. We significantly helped to conserve the looked at improving pollination in the also produced newsletters for Seed varieties for the future. polytunnels. Currently, we use flies Guardians in spring and summer. to pollinate some of our crops but With extra stocks of French beans, last year, supported by the University Sharing knowledge of Birmingham, we looked at mason we invited our members to take part We secured the Leonardo and bees as an alternative for the early in a ‘Great Beananza’ competition, Grundtvig funding to improve skills flowering varieties. aiming to promote the use of recycled and training, whilst working together materials in the garden. This involved with European partners. Into the We also promoted our HSL varieties by growing beans up recycled or reused second year of this funding, we supplying seed to many organisations supports and posting photographs on attended events in Austria, Spain, including: Belmond Le Manoir aux social media. The winner, as voted by Portugal and Greece. We also hosted Quat’ Saisons, Oxfordshire, for its our social media followers, was Dave two visits, one to Ryton, and one National Heritage Garden; BBC Two’s Axon who supported his beans with a focusing on fruits grown in East Sussex programme ‘Kew on a Plate’; Kew’s ‘lighthouse’ created from old plant pots. and Kent. Wakehurst Place, West Sussex, for its 50th anniversary; Gorgie City Farm, We supported 33 seed swaps across We gave seed saving training as part of Edinburgh; Buckingham Nursery and the UK in 2014, supplying them several events at Ryton, including our Garden Centre; and Delfland Nurseries with seed and promoting our work National Volunteer Masters Conference for Garden Organic’s Heritage Tomato to visitors. We also attended ‘Seedy 2014, and to staff from Weavers House, Collections available through Sunday’ in Brighton and ‘The Great Coventry. We also gave training off-site www.organicplants.co.uk. Seed Festival’ at The Garden Museum at an ecotherapy project in Swaffham, in London, which was part of our Norfolk, The Garden House in Brighton events supported by the EU-funded Seed Guardians and to members of the community on Leonardo programme. We currently have 195 Seed Guardians. the Isle of Bute. We filmed in Brighton We recruited 32 new guardians in for The Guardian’s Gardening blog, Towards the end of the year, we 2014, who will be supporting us for and gave talks to gardening clubs in developed a new format for our the first time this year. Seed Guardians Leicester, Bidford-upon-Avon, and at Heritage Seed Library Catalogue 2015 returned a total of 340 batches of Wageningen University, Holland. and an online ordering service, which was very well received by members. We included 175 varieties from our collection, including 21 varieties new to the catalogue. We distributed nearly 26,000 seed packets in total, and more than 1,400 members took advantage of the new online system, helping to minimise our administration costs.

Growing in 2014 At Ryton Organic Gardens, we grew 144 varieties of 26 different genus/species and 5 pre-accessions to assess. Most of these varieties were for HSL stock, with some for the 2015 catalogue, and some seedlings and plants grown for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and Gardeners World Live. Staff and volunteers cleaning seed from our heritage varieties. www.gardenorganic.org.uk Garden Organic – Annual Review 11 Feature Save Our Seeds campaign

A proposed European Union seed regulation, which our charity has been lobbying against for three years, has temporarily been withdrawn.

Garden Organic has been campaigning to such a regulation with other NGOs to plan our forthcoming strategy and against the proposed ‘Plant (non-governmental organisations). campaigning. The meeting was hosted Reproductive Material’ regulation by Arche Noah, an Austrian NGO with since 2012. This new EU regulation Garden Organic formed an alliance similar ideals and principles to Garden sought to replace the existing twelve with concerned UK organisations – Organic and also with an extensive directives. The draft legislation would including NGOs, small seed producers, library of heritage vegetable varieties. have seen gardeners and farmers plant breeders and trade associations At the meeting, we shared updates prevented from exchanging seeds – to work together to persuade from each organisation about what and, as a consequence, not being able EU officials and MEPs to reject the they had been actively doing in their to grow heritage varieties. Unlike the proposals and reinstate the previously own country and also shared plans directives, this single regulation would agreed exemptions. In March 2014, the and strategies for the coming months not have been open to interpretation Plant Reproductive Material regulation of campaigning. It was clear in that by each member government; it would was set before the EU Parliament meeting that if we were to be effective have been an EU law that would have and rejected with more than 1,400 going forward we needed to ensure applied directly to the whole amendments. that our actions were co-ordinated and of Europe. carried cohesive messages. The European Parliament was then The proposed EU regulation led to dissolved due to impending elections. In January this year, two options were fears that seed exchange networks, However, in May 2014, the Member outlined by the EU for the regulation. like our Heritage Seed Library, and States’ Council working group The first option would have seen the the making available and swapping demanded that the EU Commission commissioners accept an amended, of seeds between individuals and rebuild the proposal. re-presented version of the rejected growers, would be subject to costly regulation in the work plan. So, we annual fees, registration charges and In November 2014, we joined forces began campaigning for our preferred increased bureaucracy. Faced with this with our allies from across Europe option – we wanted to see the EU threat to our seeds, bulbs and plants, at a meeting in Vienna (following conducting an impact assessment and we began campaigning in opposition previous meetings in November 2013) direct consultation with stakeholders, leading to a complete rewrite of the EU seed regulation.

Following the decision to formally withdraw the proposed regulation, there has been no notification as to what will happen next, but we will keep you updated with any future developments, as and when they happen. We’d like to, once again, thank all our members who have actively supported us throughout this long campaign with donations and by lobbying MEPs.

You can also follow any updates to the Save Our Seeds campaign by visiting the news section of www.gardenorganic.org.uk or by following #saveourseeds on Twitter.

12 Garden Organic – Annual Review www.gardenorganic.org.uk Appeals How your donations are helping us grow

We receive tremendous support from our members. Your generosity in responding to our appeals in 2014 made a real difference to what we could achieve.

Participants in the Growth horticultural therapy project at Ryton Organic Gardens.

Save Our Seeds campaign involved, and asked for help in taking the participants’ experience, and will these to a wider audience so more allow us to cater for more students We started the year by asking for people can benefit. in the future. support to fight a proposed European seed regulation that would have seen Thanks to the money donated to this farmers and gardeners prevented from Making your money go further appeal, we have been able to: exchanging seeds, and could have A key priority for our Fundraising Team threatened the very existence of our • spend time developing new is to find efficiencies and money-saving Heritage Seed Library. (See p.12) partnerships which will lead to a measures within our work. To this network of projects taking place end, we sent the Transforming Lives The response from our supporters across the country. One example appeal alongside last year’s Annual was overwhelming. Whether by of a potential new partnership is Review, resulting in a considerable writing to MEPs, donating money, or with Saracens Rugby Football Club saving on postage. We have also helping to raise awareness of the in London, which is considering minimised costs by avoiding glossy proposed legislation, our members and developing a horticultural therapy appeal packs and by carrying out as supporters rallied round to help us. garden for its local community much of the design work as we can Thanks to donations, we were able to ourselves. These improvements have travel to crucial meetings in Europe, • promote our work to senior social meant that for every £1 we spent on and work with other organisations services managers and decision- fundraising appeals, we raised £9.04 to lobby and influence key decision- makers, raising awareness of to be spent on our vital projects. This makers. We are confident that without horticultural therapy as a suitable compares very favourably with typical this support we would not have been tool within this profession with the rates of return in the charitable sector, able to achieve the positive progress aim of securing further long-term and it has helped us achieve a total detailed on p12. funding appeal income for 2014 of £117,000, or • continue our work with a land-based £135,000 including Gift Aid. Transforming lives college to secure accreditation of the In 2014, we also asked for support to value of horticultural learning for Thank you for continuing to support build on the work our horticultural horticultural therapy participants our work - whether through a one- therapy programme is achieving in off donation, regular giving, topping • improve the facilities for those transforming the lives of vulnerable up your membership subscription, or currently participating in our individuals. We could see the fantastic helping us to spread the word. Much horticultural therapy programmes. impact these projects have on those of the work we achieve would not be These changes are already improving possible without you. www.gardenorganic.org.uk Garden Organic – Annual Review 13 Feature Our next step for sharing knowledge

One of the most important elements of Garden Organic’s work is providing accurate, relevant, current and appropriate information, advice and guidance on organic horticulture to members, supporters and the wider growing public – sharing our knowledge.

Changing demand individual response tailored to specific knowledge, but also information from growing environments – so that rather a variety of other sources of organic Over the years, our charity has than wanting to know the best variety research and practical application addressed this in different ways – in of organic carrot, for example, enquirers including: the 1950s we worked as a modest were increasingly interested in the right collaborative enterprise, sharing organic variety for a particular soil type results of basic practical experiments • university research into organic in a particular location. through simple newsletters and word- horticulture (and agriculture) at of mouth. In the 1960s, we started in home and abroad Accurate knowledge online a more organised way to send results • independent research organisations Responding to this new demand, to newspapers and magazines, and – such as the Organic Research Garden Organic has decided to started to engage with the academic Centre at Elm Farm in Berkshire community. In the 1970s, supported by establish a purpose-built online service a new generation challenging orthodox to provide – as we have been doing • information sharing from active methods, and with a media expansion since the 1950s – accurate, relevant, organic growers and gardeners from which included the sitcom ‘The Good current and appropriate information, across the UK. Life’, increasing numbers adopted advice and guidance on organic horticulture to members, supporters alternative lifestyles and publications This organic growing knowledge will and the wider growing public – sharing supporting this change started to be accessible through the Garden our knowledge. And we have a lot of reflect organic principles. Organic website over the course of knowledge – a great deal more than 2015, as a 21st century solution to By the 1980s, HRH The Prince of in the 1950s. This is not only our own Wales was actively promoting organic growing, and the ‘All Muck and Magic’ Channel 4 TV programmes had an immense impact in sharing knowledge and advice on organic growing, which continued through the 1990s Members as general and commercial interest expanded.

Into the new millennium, the dawn Media Research of new media exploded, and the traditional routes of print media and advice/help desks contracted as the rise of the internet and social media expanded. Multiple channels became the new mantra, with websites, Organic Twitter, Instagram – as well as email Knowledge – replacing more traditional routes to General knowledge. Online interest Supporters For HDRA/Garden Organic, the manual ie Web expansion of advice through a helpdesk users at our Ryton HQ, based on years of accumulated knowledge through practical growing – at its zenith in the 1990s – began to give way to online Trustees provision, as telephone calls diminished Gardeners and were replaced by email enquiries. Panel of At the same time, enquirers became experts less interested in generic responses, and more interested in a more Honey bee on verbascum

14 Garden Organic – Annual Review www.gardenorganic.org.uk Feature sharing this knowledge. We aim to return Garden Organic to our rightful place as a centre of excellence and authority on all aspects of non- commercial organic growing, which will appeal to many different users – gardeners, Garden Organic members and supporters, the media, other research institutions – indeed anyone with an interest in growing organically. It will be established not only to showcase our charity’s expertise, but also, by linking with other research institutions and growers, to encourage knowledge sharing.

The information will be topical, highlighting issues currently in the news – such as the European Union Plant Reproductive Material directives, 2016 International Year of Pulses, local vs organic, food miles in metropolitan areas, and of course the summer Putting our HSL lettuce ‘Bronze Arrow’ to the test against slugs favourite, water management in organic gardening. Members’ Experiments 2014 Expert panel There will further be a panel of organic Our Members’ Experiments have Growing Oca or growing experts – drawn from a wide played a vital role in Garden New Zealand Yam Organic’s research and development spectrum of best practice – to ensure Oca (Oxalis tuberosa) originated of organic horticulture since its that all the information on the organic in the Andean Highlands, and was beginnings. Every year, hundreds of knowledge site is verified, reliable taken to other parts of the world in members participate by undertaking and authoritative. These will include the 19th century as an alternative to experiments in their own gardens Garden Organic experts, Bob Sherman, the potato. It is now quite commonly and allotments. In 2014, three Margi Lennartsson and Pauline Pears, grown in New Zealand, but it has experiments were carried out by as well as renowned practitioners such never really become popular in these enthusiastic organic growers: as Charles Dowding, Beatrice Krehl Europe. Long-term members may and Lindsay Berry, and current Garden have tried this crop when our Organic and Heritage Seed Library Biochar as a soil improver founder Lawrence Hills investigated staff, such as Anton Rosenfeld and Neil There has been a lot of interest in it, and we thought that it was time Munro. The expert panel will not only the use of biochar in recent years to look at it again. oversee the effective management of - both to improve soil fertility and the site, but also identify key issues, as a means to sequester carbon Slug-resistant lettuce? trends and topics for greater focus and dioxide from the atmosphere. Many gardeners have a constant scrutiny. This experiment was organised in battle with slugs and a whole range conjunction with Coventry University, of techniques have been suggested The site will be principally web-based, as a project within the Centre for to minimise the problem. Our via the Garden Organic website, and Agroecology and Food Security. Heritage Seed Library (HSL) lettuce will have a range of information Together we developed the ‘Big ‘Bronze Arrow’ has been reported as available to any internet user, but with Biochar Experiment’, which was run being particularly resistant to slug more detailed knowledge, specific by Oxford Biochar. We compared damage and we wanted to see if this advice and one-to-one interactions the performance of carrots, beetroot really is the case in a wider range available to Garden Organic and and cabbage grown with or without of locations. We compared Bronze Heritage Seed Library members. biochar. Information will be added regularly, and Arrow with our members’ standard will be refreshed and renewed on an variety of lettuce. ongoing basis to reflect current interest and information. Results will be published within the Members’ Area of our website, www.gardenorganic.org.uk, later in the year.

www.gardenorganic.org.uk Garden Organic – Annual Review 15 Finance Our financial performance in 2014

Garden Organic finished 2014 ahead of expectations with an unrestricted surplus of £334,728, compared to a deficit of £15,032 in 2013.

This improved performance is due to a Total income in 2014 - £2,795,744 number of factors including increases in: legacy income; fees from our gardening projects, such as our Master Membership 14% Composter and Master Gardener Legacies 22% schemes; and additional income earned from renting out surplus 7% Donations & gifts office space at our Warwickshire 4% headquarters, Ryton Organic Gardens. Fees for garden projects 11% This has led to an increase in our Retail, catering & publications net current assets from £86,407 to 19% £309,508, reflecting an increase in our Other income cash balances. During the year, we 23% Admission & grants repaid £89,818 of debt.

Reserves Reserves are needed to bridge the Total expenditure in 2014 - £2,624,878 gap between the spending and receiving of funds, and to enable the 0% charity to cover unplanned emergency Fundraising & publicity 1% expenditure. In 2014, the Trustees Retail catering & publications 4% reviewed the charity’s reserves policy 8% and agreed that a general reserve of Governance 9% £500,000 is required, which is equal to 17% three months unrestricted, non-trading Gardens expenditure. 15% Education In 2014, the Trustees also established a designated fund which is ringfenced for Information & training the specific purpose of maintaining and Research replacing assets currently owned by the 15% 31% charity. This includes the maintenance Marketing & PR of the buildings and infrastructure at Ryton Organic Gardens. Executive For more detailed information on our 2014 Report & Accounts, please visit www.gardenorganic.org.uk/charity- information.

Garden Organic’s “outstanding results” Elst and Steve Howell, who will be Lawrence Woodward OBE, Coordinator during 2014 were highlighted at our Treasurer. And retiring Trustees of Citizens Concerned about GM, gave our Annual General Meeting and Sally Bucknall and John Brown were a passionate talk entitled ‘Time to Members’ Day. thanked for contributing so much to Take Action’. After lunch, members had our charity’s work. opportunities to learn more about our Chief Executive James Campbell charity’s projects, discuss our future shared our charity’s key successes with Tim Lang, Garden Organic President plans, take tours of Sheepdrove and more than 100 members attending and Professor of Food Policy, gave a join in an Organic Gardeners’ Question this inspiring event at Sheepdrove fascinating insight into the big issues Time. Organic Farm, Berkshire, in May. facing our charity, organic growing Members were invited to welcome and food security in the wake of the For more about this event visit new Trustees Nicky Foster Vander General Election. And keynote speaker www.gardenorganic.org.uk/news.

16 Garden Organic – Annual Review www.gardenorganic.org.uk Membership Members’ update

Garden Organic’s Membership Team enjoyed another productive year in 2014. We focused on how we can improve our service to members, and offer benefits that will support your organic growing - whether you’re in Land’s End, John O’Groats or anywhere else in-between!

At the end of 2014, we had a total of The next phase of this work is Thank you 25,733 memberships. These were held by currently underway. We will soon be In our last Annual Review, we asked just under 20,000 individuals, including introducing listings of local organic you to help us further by setting up a 1,733 new memberships set up during gardens that members can visit – Gift Aid declaration and by switching the year from as far afield as the United some may not even be open to the to Direct Debit payment. We were States, Singapore and New Zealand. We general public. If you know of an absolutely thrilled with your response, would like to take this opportunity to inspirational organic garden in your receiving over 1,500 new Gift Aid extend a very warm ‘organic’ welcome to area, please send us the details. declarations during the year and all our new members. increasing the proportion of Direct We also attended a number of shows Debits up to 75% of our memberships. in 2014 to promote organic growing. Local organic activities We can’t thank you enough for this. These included: The Edible Garden In our Annual Review last year, we Although these may seem like small Show in London; RHS Chelsea Flower spoke about our desire to make changes to you, they have a huge Show; RHS Hampton Court Palace organic growing support accessible to impact on our charity, helping to Flower Show; The Home Grown Expo members across the UK, regardless of make your money go even further. If in Coventry; Sandringham Flower where they are based. We are pleased you’ve not done one or either of these Show; West Dean Chilli Fiesta in to say that since then we have added yet, and think you may be able to, Sussex; and Brogdale National Apple new areas to our website to promote: please call 024 7630 8210 or email Festival in Kent. [email protected]. • local organic groups:  These events gave us an ideal www.gardenorganic.org.uk/ We would like to take this opportunity opportunity to talk to people who had local-groups; and to thank all Garden Organic and never considered growing organically Heritage Seed Library members before, and to catch up with our • local organic group events: for supporting us this year. Your  members. Special thanks must go out www.gardenorganic.org.uk/ membership subscription plays a vital to those members who helped out local-events. role in supporting all of the projects on these stands, your support was you’ve read about in this Annual invaluable. We will be out and about We have also supported groups in Review. even more in 2015, with several new going out to local events to promote shows added to the diary – visit organic growing, and helped signpost www.gardenorganic.org.uk/events to members to their nearest group. find out more.

Meet your membership team Whether you’ve spoken to us over the phone or by email, it’s always nice to put a face to a name, so here’s your membership team…

Hannah Rogers Sarah Moran Suzanne Golby Beth Cawte Becky Witcomb Membership Manager Magazine Editor Membership Officer Membership Officer Membership Officer (maternity cover) (currently on maternity leave)

Contact us on 024 7630 8210 or [email protected] www.gardenorganic.org.uk Garden Organic – Annual Review 17 Feature Looking to the Future

As we come out of recession and cautious optimism returns – at least in some parts of the country – we at Garden Organic are actively looking to the future, and planning for it.

Advanced motorists are taught to look Part of that process is about visiting exuberance to settled maturity, but now up much further ahead than they are gardens and getting inspiration – needs some reinvigoration and hard work used to, identify obstacles and plan a although I admit to a sense of personal to bring it back to that pinnacle of organic route around them, and not to focus satisfaction when I see something which excellence – and we’re working hard so too much on the rear-view mirror. I I’ve grown looking better and healthier that by the year of our Diamond Jubilee in doubt Jeremy Clarkson took that advice, than that grown by the professionals – 2018, we will be proud again of our own which is possibly why the future of ‘Top and so as we look to the future I want organic gardens and what they represent. Gear’ looks precarious as I write, but to create both a nationwide network from my perspective the road ahead is of organic partner gardens, and to So the future is bright for Garden Organic, fairly clear, with some very interesting rejuvenate Ryton Organic Gardens back for the Heritage Seed Library, and for opportunities to either side. to its rightful place as the epitome our broadening range of projects and of organic horticultural excellence in activities actively promoting the benefits Expanding our presence into the practice. of organic growing. regions, counties and cities of the wider UK will be a very important So what I’ve already started to do is I’m particularly proud of our work with part of delivering our organic growing to identify potential partner gardens, hard-to-reach communities, taking the messages in the coming years, and which need to be either organic message of health and wellbeing I have an ambition for a network of certified (not many of these) or self- to black and minority ethnic communities, local organic groups bringing together certified as being grown in accordance to prisons and offenders, families expert organic growers with new and with our Organic Guidelines (much more using food banks, to those with mental aspirational gardeners who need advice likely), and open to the public, with health issues, and all those seeking to in a supportive environment. supporting information about organic protect our organic heritage for future growing and an experienced grower generations. My experience of gardeners – as an to deal with questions. Luckily, there active organic grower for more than 25 are more and more of these across the We will continue to work for what we years – is that whether on my allotment country, and I’m confident we can build believe in, and to represent you, our or in my garden, fellow gardeners are up a great network so that wherever members and organic growing supporters, more than willing to share knowledge, you live, there will be an inspirational wherever necessary to secure a sustained experience and plants – and we need organic garden for you to visit nearby. future for organic growing and gardening. to encourage and support organic gardeners to take new and converting Ryton Organic Gardens, like many James Campbell growers under their wing. gardens, has progressed from youthful Chief Executive

The inspirational Yeo Valley Organic Garden in Somerset, available for Garden Organic members to visit at a reduced rate.

18 Garden Organic – Annual Review www.gardenorganic.org.uk NFU MUTUAL IS PROUD TO SPONSOR GARDEN ORGANIC

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J13406_GO_Ad_266x187_2014.indd 1 02/01/2014 10:05 www.gardenorganic.org.uk Garden Organic – Annual Review 19 Thanks a bunch!

Garden Organic was only able to enjoy such a productive year in 2014 because of our fantastic supporters who believe in our work and are committed to helping us.

So we would like to take this opportunity to thank our members, volunteers, project participants, local groups, Seed Guardians, visitors to Ryton Organic Gardens, Organic Open Gardens supporters, donors, sponsors, partner organisations, Trustees, Ambassadors and many others for all of their support.

Organisations recently funding our GLA (Greater London Authority) The Sheepdrove Trust work: Gloucestershire County Council The Sheldon Trust The 29th May 1961 Trust Golding Homes Shropshire County Council Baron Davenport’s Charity The Grimmitt Trust Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council Big Lottery Fund’s Local Food programme The Heritage Lottery Fund Somerset Community Food Big Lottery Fund – Single Award JHF Green Trust Stanley Smith (UK) Horticultural Trust Breckland Council Kaye Pemberton Charitable Trust Straight plc Buckinghamshire County Council Keep Calm Gallery Stratford-on-Avon District Council Children in Need Leicestershire County Council Suffolk County Council CHK Charities Ltd Lincolnshire County Council Suma Coventry City Council The London Boroughs of Islington and The Tanner Trust Camden Coventry University Tesco Charity Trust Medway Council The Daylesford Foundation The Tisbury Telegraph Trust Network Rail Defra Triodos Bank NFU Mutual Delfland Nurseries Ltd The Tudor Trust Norfolk Community Foundation Department for Education Veolia Norfolk County Council DJ & M Wood Trust Vinceremos Northamptonshire County Council Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council Warwick District Council The Oakdale Trust Duke of Portland’s Charitable Trust Warwickshire County Council The Oram Foundation The Earl Castle Stewart Trust William Dean Countryside and Educational Orbit Heart of England Trust Ecotricity The Organic Gardening Catalogue Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc The Edward and Dorothy Cadbury Trust The Other Hat Worcestershire County Council Esmée Fairbairn Foundation Open Gate WRAP (Waste and Resources Action EU – Cost Action Oxfordshire County Council Programme) EU – European Fund for Rural Development The Patsy Wood Trust EU – Leonardo Lifelong Learning The Peabody Trust Programme The Phone Co-op Thank you to the many organisations which have supported Garden Organic EU – Grundtvig Lifelong Learning The Ratcliff Foundation in other ways. Programme Rural Development Plan for Wales 2008 EU – Seventh Framework Programme -2013 (Supply Chains Efficiencies Scheme) Fisherbeck Charitable Trust Salvia Foundation Garden Organic is the working name of the Henry Doubleday Research Association. G4S Sandra Charitable Trust Registered charity number 298104.

Photo: Heritage Seed Library carrot ‘John’s Purple’.

20 Garden Organic – Annual Review www.gardenorganic.org.uk