Press Release: 8October2014

Young entrepreneurs bring the Great British harvest to City Hall

Competition winners from 10 enterprising London schools have won the opportunity to trade their

school-grown produce at City Hall, the home of the Mayor of London. On Tuesday 14 October 2014 at 11am, the doors will open to members of public, the London Assembly and 600 City Hall staff to have a taste of the young entrepreneurial spirit in our city. From strawbery jam to tomato ketchup, and the great British apple to winter salad bags. Schools from Greenwich to Croydon,Haringey to Westminster, and Islington and beyond will be showcasing their food growing talent at the ‘Schools Marketplace’.

The event marks the launch of Grow Your Own Business, a city-wide celebration of school food growing, enterprise and learning, which offers schools advice on how to get growing, and start their own school food growing enterprise. Led by school food growing experts from Food Growing Schools: London and supported by the Mayor of London, the campaign coincides with changes to the national curriculum which bring food growing and cooking back on the school agenda. It also encourages local communities to put their money where their mouth is and invest in young growers for their next meal.

Among them are two schools from Greenwich, selling produce from their school gardens. ‘At Charlton Park Academy we are busy preparing our chutneysand drying a variety ofherbs for our grand day out to theSchools Marketplace atCity Hall. Ourstudents are extremelyexcited and really looking forward to showcasing their products, as well as connecting with other London schools’. Bryher Pennells, Teacher atCharlton Park Academy.‘These children are the future. We need to equip them with living a healthy lifestyle and give them basic business skills so that they can succeed in their lives. As a school we get to show London what Charlton Manor Primary School is really about and its whole school approach to healthy eating.’Sharonjit Chahal, Teacher at Charlton Manor Primary School.

London schools who join Grow Your Own Business have the opportunity to enter a competition to win compost, tools, seeds and fruit trees. The competition run by Food Growing Schools: London with Capital Growth – is looking to discover the best school food growing enterprise in London. Julie Riehl, Capital Growth said; ‘We are looking for inspiring schools that grow and sell food or make products with garden ingredients, involve parents, teachers and volunteers, and include their ‘grow to sell’ activities in the curriculum’. Apply:

Schools wishing to start a new food growing enterprise, are invited also to attend the Youth Enterprise event on Tuesday 14 October, by registering: and sign up for a free Grow Your Own Business activity pack

Food Growing Schools: London is part of a movement recognising the incredible benefits of growing food for young people and their local communities. Food growing not only encourages enterprise skills, and helps raise money for schools, but improves children’s health, nurtures key life skills across curriculum subjects, improves behaviour, and connects local communities in supporting them.With the launch of Food Growing Schools: London in June 2014, and recent changes to Government school food policy (e.g. School Food Plan, free infant school meals, cooking in the curriculum), together they point to the significant impact that improvements to school food culture will have on our capital’s long-term stability, health and economic future.

Notes

  • School Marketplace stall-holders - Tuesday 14th October 2014, 11- 3.30pm.

City Hall, The Queen's Walk, London SE1 2AA. Including the following schools and more:

  1. Charlton Park Academy – Greenwich
  2. Charlton Manor Primary– Greenwich
  3. Good Shepherd RC Primary – Croydon
  4. Nightingale School – Hackney
  5. Park View Secondary – Haringey
  6. Rhyl Primary - Camden
  7. Paddington Green Primary School together with local schools from – Westminster & Islingtonincluding Pooles Park Primary, Montem Primary, St Joseph Catholic Primary.

  • Youth Enterprise Event, City Hall - Tuesday 14th October 2014, 3.30pm. City Hall, The Queen's Walk, London SE1 2AA 3.30pm onwards, after the Marketplace. Booking required.
  • Grow Your Own Business- Sow it. Grow It. Sell it! September to December 2014

Join us! A city-wide celebration of school food growing, enterprise and learning - creating young entrepreneurs and healthier local communities. With our expert guidance, learn the secrets to starting your own school food growing business, raising money for your school, developing employment skills and selling healthy, home-grown food in your local community. Culminating in Global Entrepreneurship Week from 17 to 23 November 2014

  • Food Growing Schools: London - Growing Ideas. Sowing Inspiration. Cultivating Futures.Food Growing Schools: London brings together the very best of London’s food growing expertise, information and support, with the ambition to inspire and equip every school in London to grow their own food. Together, we’re cultivating young people’s love for learning and hunger for knowledge, and developing supportive local communities through food.
  • Partners - Garden Organic is working together with partners, Capital Growth, Food For Life Partnership, Morrisons (Let’s Grow), Royal Horticultural Society and School Food Matters. Funded by The Mayors Office and the Big Lottery Fund, the project aims to cultivate young people’s love for learning, and hunger for knowledge, and develop supportive and healthy local communities through food.
  • National Curriculum – Cooking and Nutrition in the curriculum, from September 2014
  • School Food Plan -
  • Capital Growth -

Contact

Jane Baker – Food Growing Schools: London, Communications Officer

Based at Garden Organic, Ryton, Coventry.

Tel: 024 7630 8221 (Coventry) – office hours. Email:

Gemma Squelch – Food Growing Schools: London, Project Manager

Tel: 0207 065 0889 (London) – office hours. Email:

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