Love2Grow

Inspero’s Love2Grow programme is a community growing scheme for young people supported by adult volunteers. We aim to plant the seeds for a lifetime of positive eating habits by developing fun food programmes for local young people.

Inspero’s Gardening and Eco Club teaches children useful life skills including a better approach to healthy food and contributes to children’s emotional and physical health.

Our Love2Grow club is affiliated with the Royal Horticulture Society and is a group working within the RHS Campaign for School Gardening.

We use gardening as an educational tool to

• teach children where food comes from
• teach basic horticulture skills, how to grow food
• learn about the environment and nature
• develop children’s fine motor skills
• create more active young people, enjoying the outdoors

Real benefits for children:

• develop into more skilled, creative thinkers
• gain a more resilient, confident and responsible approach to life
• become stronger, active learners capable of thinking independently
• helps them embrace a healthier, more active lifestyle
• boosts self esteem and confidence
• supports them to give a positive contribution towards their community
• helps them develop the ability to work and communicate with people of all ages and backgrounds

Why learning how to grow food is important

Food is such an important part of our lives, educating children to have a positive attitude to healthy food from a young age is so vital for their future health and well being.

In 2012 the National Trust surveyed a thousand children aged 8 – 12 years old; 72% of children in the UK would like their own space to grown fruit and vegetables, 63% of children would rather eat fruit and vegetables they have grown.

What was interesting as well was the lengths children go to, to avoid eating their greens:

• 42% hide it under other food on their plate
• 30% throw it in the bin when no-one’s looking
• 23% sneak it on to someone else’s plate
• 17% feed it to the family pet

We grow more than just greens at Love2Grow! We grow all sorts of vegetables, fruit, herbs and edible flowers.

What do young people get out of the programme?

Young people will grow in confidence, make new friendship groups, work in a team, learn new skills; how to grow their own fruit, herbs and vegetables. They will also be invited to join our Love2Cook programme giving them the opportunity to cook some tasty dishes with the produce.

Sharing skills and knowledge is important to us, at our Love2Grow programme young people are also learning new skills alongside adult volunteers sharing their horticultural knowledge in a fun, relaxed environment.

Love2Grow is an intergenerational programme at several different growing sites in the heart of Basingstoke. For more information please email us.