Welcome to Health for Life in the community
Health for life® is an award-winning, evidence-based partnership programme which promotes fun activities that engage people in growing food, physical activity, healthy eating and cookery. Funded by Mondelēz International, Health for Life is delivered through schools and to the wider community in Birmingham by Services For Education and The Conservation Volunteers.
Food Growing and Gardening
TCV supports the development of Health for Life with several community food growing spaces across south Birmingham. These spaces host weekly food growing and gardening sessions in a friendly environment You don’t need any previous experience to join in and tools and gloves are provided for you.
Community gardening offers a wide range of benefits that go beyond just growing plants. Here are some key advantages:
1. Physical Health
Provides gentle exercise through planting, weeding, and harvesting.
Encourages time outdoors, which can boost vitamin D levels and overall well-being.
2. Mental Health
Reduces stress and anxiety by connecting with nature.
Promotes mindfulness and a sense of accomplishment when tending to plants.
3. Social Connection
Builds friendships and strengthens community bonds.
Creates opportunities for teamwork and shared learning.
4. Skill Development
Teaches gardening techniques, sustainability practices, and healthy eating habits.
Encourages problem-solving and creativity.
5. Environmental Impact
Supports biodiversity and green spaces in urban areas.
Reduces carbon footprint by growing local produce.
Food growing spaces
TCV Birmingham has regular, weekly opportunities to join in at one of our community gardens. They are all free to attend. We also have a small orchard with a variety of fruit trees and shrubs. Here you can learn about traditional orchard management and have a go at pressing your own fruit juice.
Feel the joy that comes with tending to plants and watching them thrive. Come along and join us outdoors to grow fresh vegetables, learn new skills, and connect with nature!
Our accessible gardens can be found in the following locations:
Bartley Green
Bournville
Northfield
Shenley
West Heath
Please contact Glenn on g.powell@tcv.rg.uk for further information. Attendees will be required to complete a short registration process prior to joining in.
Health for Life Walks
Join us every Friday morning for one hour of wellness. Come along on a gentle stroll in pleasant surroundings with likeminded people. As we walk along our route, we will learn how to identify birdsong and find out a little more about the nature in our neighbourhood. Our walks are along hardstanding pathways and are predominantly flat.
Walks take place at Rowheath Park every Friday from 10am. Email Glenn on g.powell@tcv.rg.uk for further details.
Healthy Eating Sessions
As well as our Green Gym gardening sessions, we also offer Healthy Eating cookery classes. These fun and interactive sessions provide opportunities to try new recipes and share ideas on how to use home-grown produce to make tasty, seasonal meals that won’t break the bank.
You will also be able to find us at a number of local events throughout the year – keep an eye on our social media for news!
Keep up to date on what’s happening now in the Health for Life programme
For further information about healthy eating sessions and upcoming events, please follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. We have a Facebook group – Grow Well, Eat Well – to share help, advice, as well as hints and tips about growing your own food.
You can also find lots of help and advice for growing your own food, as well as step by step recipe cards for making healthy meals for the family over on our Health for Life blog.
Contact
Glenn (07584 402 549)
Email: midlands@tcv.org.uk
