Partnership project helps children and families connect with nature

A fantastic partnership between Gloucestershire Gateway Trust, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and Men in Sheds Cheltenham & Gloucester has helped develop outdoor spaces across our Children and Family Centres creating new opportunities for children and families to grow food, connect with nature and learn together.

The project is part of Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust’s Do One Thing programme, which encourages people to take simple actions that benefit wildlife and the environment. Through this partnership, handcrafted planters, made by the team at Men in Sheds, have been installed at a number of our Children and Family Centres, alongside planting support and resources provided by Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust.

Recently, Stuart and Matt from Men in Sheds visited the Beacon (Kingsway) and Lighthouse (Linden) Children and Family Centres to see the planters in action and hear about the difference they are making.

During their visit, they were able to see first-hand how children, families, staff and volunteers have been using the planters to grow a wide variety of fruit and vegetables, including tomatoes, spring onions, lettuce and spinach.

At Beacon Children and Family Centre, the project has also helped establish a volunteer gardening group, Plants, Crafts & Tots, where little ones can play, socialise and explore, while parents help to maintain the garden space.

The visit gave Stuart and Matt the opportunity to see the impact of their work and how something built in their workshop has become a much-loved feature within our centres.

In return, Jamie Whitelock, Family and Community Connector at Gloucestershire Gateway Trust, and Carmen Orr, Do One Thing Officer at Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, visited the Men in Sheds Workshop in Hempstead, Gloucester to meet the wider team and see where the planters were created.

Men in Sheds supports wellbeing by bringing people together to work on practical community projects, creating items such as planters, benches and seating for schools, charities, care homes, churches and community organisations across Gloucestershire.

Carmen said:

It’s really rewarding to see young people and families using the planters. Some people are taking the produce from these home and using it in their cooking. Some are also taking the plants home themselves, so they’re able to grow in their own gardens and green spaces, which is really wonderful to see.”

From everyone at Gloucestershire Gateway Trust, we would like to thank Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and Men in Sheds Cheltenham & Gloucester for their hard work, generosity and commitment to bringing this project to life. The positive impact can already be seen across our Children & Family Centres, and we look forward to continuing to grow together.