Growing Together

The project wanted families to:

• Access fresh food, healthy eating and nutrition
• Develop growing skills for the community and home
• Connect to outdoor activity and diverse community spaces

The project wanted 0-3s to:

• Develop language and communication skills
• Build confidence with peers and within the family
• Learn about nature, outdoor play and food

• The project successfully engaged large numbers of families in outdoor sessions in the Better Start Bradford area.
• 900 people attended outdoor sessions including 240 children with 75% of families returning.
• The project adapted well to COVID-19 restrictions, delivering growing packs to families and encouraging people to grow at home on their windowsills and in their yards and gardens. They also set up demonstration beds in two growing spaces – one at Horton Community Farm and one at SHINE – in preparation for face-to-face growing activities once restrictions were lifted.
• They hadn’t originally factored in sessions over the colder months, but with COVID-19 restricting face-to-face contact, the model was adapted again and sessions ran over the autumn and winter months to maintain the progress and ensure continuity of support and interaction for the children. During the outdoor sessions they had a fire pit to keep warm and delivered ‘cook and eat’ sessions, prepared hot food and drinks, and ran activities including making food for birds.
• During lockdown, 2000+ seed packets and plants were given out to families with instructions for growing at home.
• 624 growing packs, 900l compost and 419 plant pots were distributed over 14 weeks during lockdown.