Are you an individual or are you running a community group and would like to start greening your public space and growing your own food? Or are you an organisation with some land to share and would like to see your space used to benefit your community?
If you’ve answered YES, keep reading!
What is Grow & Eat
Grow & Eat is a new collaborative project by North Tyneside VODA with support from Public Health and Active North Tyneside. The aim of the project is to help communities in the North Tyneside area learn how to make more efficient use of their available space, whether that is public or private, in order to grow food and improve their physical and mental health.
Some of the goals of the project are:
- To identify suitable spaces for food growing, such as outdoor spaces in community centres, business-owned land or suitable, unused public land
- To provide training and development opportunities to groups and individuals on growing methods, sustainable practices, indoor and vertical growing and many more
- To help new community groups form and to help these as well as existing groups access funding for their projects
- To provide networking opportunities for groups so that they can learn from each other
- To help raise awareness on the number of physical and mental health benefits that gardening can bring
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To support, where appropriate, North Tyneside Council’s Healthy Weight Declaration commitments
How to get involved
If you are a business, community centre or charitable organisation:
Do you have some outdoor space that’s in need of a bit of TLC? Would you like to welcome volunteers and community groups in your space that will keep it looking vibrant and healthy while they grow food for themselves and their communities? Grow & Eat gives you the opportunity to make a difference in your community.
If you are part of a community group or would like to start a community group to grow some food:
Do you need help setting up your group or is your existing group looking to access some funding for the purpose of starting or advancing your food growing journey? Grow & Eat can help you achieve your goals.
If you are a volunteer looking to get involved with the Grow & Eat project:
Do you have skills and time to share with the groups as they set on creating their community growing spaces? Volunteering is an excellent way to get involved with your community, get a sense of achievement, meet like-minded people and earn experience and skills in a new area.
Would you like to know more?
If you would like to know more, please click on the button below and complete the expression of interest form.
Grow & Eat Community Grant
The Grow & Eat Community Grant is part of the Grow & Eat project, a new collaboration by North Tyneside VODA with support from Public Health and Active North Tyneside.
The aim of the project is to help communities in the North Tyneside area learn how to make more efficient use of their available space, whether that is public or private, in order to grow food and improve their physical and mental health.
The grant aims to help beneficiaries work towards their goal of developing their space to become an active and useful hub for their community where people can come together to socialise, be more active and learn about the benefits of healthy fresh food, through the shared activity of gardening and growing food.
Applicants which will be considered for the grant include organisations within the Charity sector, which are based in North Tyneside or benefit North Tyneside residents. Examples of organisations that can apply for the grant are as follows:
- Constituted groups
- Social enterprises with a charitable purpose
- Registered charities
PLEASE SEE VODA’S HELPFUL GUIDE HERE ON HOW TO SET UP YOUR CHARITABLE GROUP.
If you are unsure whether your organisation is eligible to apply for the grant, please get in touch with the Grow & Eat Development Officer at [email protected].
The following will not be considered for the grant:
- Organisations not based in or not benefitting North Tyneside residents.
- Individuals
- Sole traders
- For-profit organisations
- Organisations that have already been awarded a Grow & Eat grant in the past 12 months.
Applicants can apply for support of up to £500, however applications exceeding this amount, may still be considered. Applicants will receive written confirmation via their preferred communication method, within four weeks of their submission, on whether they have been successful. There is no set deadline and grant applications will be reviewed periodically and until all funding has been allocated. Successful applicants are required to use the grant within six (6) months of receipt and to provide receipts for materials and services they used the grant for within one (1) month of final spending of the funds. Completed applications should be returned:
By email: [email protected]
By post: C/O Vicky Batsioudi – Grow & Eat Development Officer
North Tyneside VODA
Spirit of North Tyneside Wing
2nd Floor Customer First Centre
16 The Forum
Wallsend
NE28 8JR
A Beginner's Guide to Growing Your Own Food
