TCV is delivering the community food elements of Leicester City’s Food Plan.
The Leicester City Food Plan is a long-term programme to make Leicester a healthy and sustainable food city.
As part of the food plan, we are encouraging families and communities to grow their own food. Funded by Leicester City Council, TCV delivers the Community Food Growing Programme providing, free, invaluable support and advice about growing food to schools, early learning settings, community gardens, orchards and allotments.
Together we’d like to:
- Develop food growing amongst community groups who have limited experience and knowledge in community food growing
- Develop a network of food growing champions so they can promote the benefits of food growing and assist others in developing their skills
- Offer free training and resources to communities to help their growing experience
- Enable groups to meet and share their growing ideas, tips, learning and achievements
- Invite growers to our growing events
- Assist groups to apply for grants and funding to develop their projects
Growing food within communities enables people to connect with each other, be more physically active, boosts their mood, encourages them to eat well and ultimately leads to healthier lifestyles.
Community Food Champions
Anyone who has food growing knowledge and wishes to share this with others can join the Community Food Champions. We have regular meetings to discuss food growing topics and to network.
Champions can also become TCV Key Volunteers (accessing our free training courses) and develop their mentoring skills under the guidance of a TCV Leader so that they can go on to deliver advice and support sessions to new growers within their own communities.
For more information and dates of upcoming meetings, please contact samantha.woods@tcv.org.uk or join our Leicester Food Growing Facebook Group.
Support for community groups and allotments
TCV offers tailored advice and support to allotment societies and community food growers. This includes assistance with garden design, seasonal growing, local resources and other direct advice about how to grow more food locally. In addition, we can assist groups with advice on establishing good governance, how to constitute your group and where and how to look for funding.
We work in three high priority areas of the City: Beaumont Leys, Braunstone and Eyres Monsell. Groups in these areas may also be eligible for funding support through the City Council’s Get Growing Grant scheme.
Support for schools
TCV works closely with the Eco Schools and Food for Life programmes in Leicester City. Support is available from any of these programmes to help schools develop food growing areas and strengthen the links between food grown on-site and healthy eating.
We work closely with schools to help them integrate their food gardens into the curriculum and to encourage schools to open their grounds to community volunteers via regular volunteering sessions and one-off community days.
