Growing the Future:

National Federation of Women’s Institutes - Wales: Gardening with Schools Project

The National Federation of Women’s Institutes-Wales has secured funding from the Millennium Stadium Charitable Trust to support WI groups to develop gardening projects with local primary schools in their areas.

The project will teach children about wildlife, the environment and food through practical gardening and conservation work and will aim to achieve the following:-

• Develop and foster children’s enthusiasm, interest, appreciation and enjoyment of the natural environment;

• Stimulate children to take an interest in making links between food production, healthy eating and sustainable development.

The idea to develop this project initiated from the Federations of Wales Committee in an attempt to address the following concerns:-

• The decline in time spent by children playing and learning outdoors;

• The dramatic rise in childhood obesity;

• The gaps in children’s knowledge about food and countryside;

• The low participation of older women in physical activity.

All 13 Federations in Wales have appointed voluntary co-ordinators who are being trained to support and advise local WIs on setting up and developing their gardening projects.

WIs are being encouraged and supported to forge links with local primary schools in their area to develop projects either on school grounds or land belonging to the community. It is envisaged that over the next three years, approximately 400 projects will be established. Schools or community groups with an interest in becoming involved in this project are asked to contact Sarah Thomas at the NFWI-Wales Office to register their interest. Tel: 029 2022 1712.

posted 31st October 2005

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