£75,000 now available for 'grow your own' schemes

A share of £75,000 is now up for grabs for London's green-fingered community groups. The cash is available as part of the Capital Growth scheme, supported by the Mayor of London and managed by London Food Link, which encourages Londoners to grow their own food in under-used areas of the capital.

People can apply online (www.capitalgrowth.org/apply) for sums between £200 and £1500 to turn underused land into a vegetable patch.  It is even possible to use grow bags on a concreted piece of ground to 'grow your- own'. Under the scheme Londoners receive both financial and practical support to produce food, such as access to training and expert advice.

Last December's round of funding proved popular, with 95 new growing spaces benefiting from a share of the first £75,000 on offer (from a total of £150,000). Schools, housing estates, homeless hostels and universities were amongst those that succeeded in winning financial support. The Castle Climbing Centre in Green Lanes, Haringey, is using £1,000 of Capital Growth cash to develop its one-acre garden into a place to grow food. Part of the garden will grow fruit, vegetables and herbal teas to supply the centre's café.  And there are plans for bee hives and mini-plots for staff, centre members and the local community to grow their own vegetables too. There are now more than 300 Capital Growth spaces in total since the scheme launched in November 2008.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “Creating lush patches of fruit and veg is catching on, judging by Londoners' enthusiastic response to Capital Growth. We've already helped to create dozens of new growing spaces at schools, housing estates, at homeless schemes and at three of the city's universities. The scheme is helping to make the urban environment more pleasant and cared for, as well as providing a cheap, fun way to grow grub.”

Rosie Boycott, Chair of London Food, added: “Capital Growth brings communities together to grow their own affordable food and to cultivate beautiful green urban spaces.  It's also a great way for people to learn about nutrition and healthy eating, while getting in some gentle exercise along the way.  Local councils are also now offering their support, with four of them to date – Camden, Islington, Lewisham and Haringey – committing to support no less than 60 new growing spaces each.”

Seb Mayfield, from London Food Link who are running Capital Growth, commented: “We've been amazed at the response from Londoners – it really seems to have captured the capital's imagination. We've had such a diverse range of groups looking to set up spaces and we're on target to create 2012 new community food growing spaces by the end of 2012.”

London's primary school children are also being encouraged to grow their own fruit and vegetables by the Mayor through a Capital Growth schools competition launched last month with London in Bloom.  He has written to all primary schools in the capital urging them to create thriving food gardens. The top food growing schools in each three categories - 'Bugs and Slugs'; 'Collect and Create'; 'Climate Cool' - will win a visit by a celebrity gardener, cash prizes of £500, plants and a wormery. Schools are able to apply for these small grants to get growing and apply for the competition.

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Notes to Editors

Capital Growth is funded by the Mayor of London and by Local Food, part of the Big Lottery Fund's Local Food Scheme. It is managed by London Food Link, part of the environment charity, Sustain. The programme was awarded a Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Commendation this year for its success in getting communities growing.

Capital Growth has a target to deliver 2,012 food growing spaces by 2012.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, launched a £150,000 Capital Growth fund to help Londoners grow their own food in under-used areas of the capital (www.london.gov.uk/view_press_release.jsp?releaseid=24438) in November 2009.  Half that sum - £75,000 – has already been distributed to 95 spaces around the capital.  Today's announcement makes the remaining £75,000 available.

Boosting the amount of locally grown food in London has a range of health and environmental benefits, such as improving access to nutritious, low cost food in urban areas and helping to increase flood protection.  It also reduces food miles and cuts carbon emissions. There is rising interest in self-grown food and inner London boroughs have waiting lists for allotments that can be decades long.

For media enquiries please call Alan Ali Nicola Dillon or Hilary Merrett in Mayor's Press Office on 020 7983 4755/4066. Numbers not for publication.

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