Each June, we have the great privilege of working with the next generation of conservation volunteers through our Health for Life Wheelbarrow competition, held over four days at BBC Gardeners’ World Live.
TCV’s Birmingham team work year-round with the schools and local community through the Health for Life in the Community programme, supported by Mondelez. The team run activities focused on making a sustained difference to healthy lifestyles in local communities across Birmingham, such as food growing, nature walks and healthy eating resources.
The Wheelbarrow competition is a highlight of the programme, where schools spend time making a ‘meal in a barrow‘ and use creative thinking to interpret this in their own wheelbarrow creation.
It is also a favourite of many event visitors to BBC Gardener’s World Live, held at NEC Birmingham. With 12.5k votes made by the public, many of whom spent time away from browsing the display gardens and stalls to read the individual submissions written by the school children, it draws lots of people to talk to the local team and learn more about TCV.
Our stand also hosted the event’s Children’s area, where our team put on children’s activities such as bug hunts and nature-based activity sheets. Visitors also got a chance to understand and support TCV Wild Days Out, with the donations generously given on the day directly supporting schoolchildren in Birmingham who might not otherwise have access to nature.
It was fantastic to see so many enthusiastic children learn about nature, and the excitement levels rose even more when the schoolchildren arrived to see their wheelbarrow at the event! The competition was judged by professionals at Gardener’s World Live and all wheelbarrows entered a public vote.
Rebecca Kennelly MBE, TCV Chief Executive said: “Every year I love to see the wonderful creations by schoolchildren at the Gardener’s World Live Wheelbarrow competition where children grow food and connect with nature, which is something incredibly important in this day and age. The wheelbarrows demonstrate such creativity, thought and fun had by the children. It’s so important that children have the opportunity to connect with nature, and food growing is one of the best ways we can do this.
“The wheelbarrow competition is designed for schools to interpret a ‘meal in a barrow’. That could be meals for themselves through growing fruit and vegetables, and representations of different family traditions, or meals for wildlife! The wheelbarrows showcase what they have learnt through the Health for Life project we run in Birmingham – each entry shows so much imagination and knowledge about growing food.“
And the winners were…
Judges Choice
Erdington Academy
St Martin De Porres
Somerville Primary
Public Choice
Oasis Academy Hobmoor
Allens Croft Nursery
Congratulations to all the winning schools and well done to everyone who made a wonderful wheelbarrow creation!
A big thank you to everyone who took the time to support the children by voting or for donating to help more children access nature through our Wild Days Out programme.
For more information on Health For Life and TCV Birmingham’s team, head here.
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