September brought welcome news from the Open Wing Trust. I had been selected to receive funding to enable me to carry out a six week Rapid Review project. The research was to focus on the benefits of family growing spaces and how this could be used to support vulnerable families and those families who are perhaps not traditionally classed as vulnerable, but who may nevertheless be struggling through the pandemic.
The concept of using landscapes and gardens to support vulnerable children is not a new one. Lady Allen of Hurtwood established a number of adventure playgrounds across London after the Second World War. These playgrounds were located in areas of the City that had suffered the most intensive bombing and where children had experienced significant trauma as a result.
Today, social and therapeutic horticulture continues to support physical and mental health through the provision of opportunities to work in gardens. I believe that offering families a safe space within a 'growing' environment may well deliver tangible benefits by improving wellbeing through the teaching of gardening and horticulture skills. Learning about growing food also helps children to understand where their food comes from and how it contributes to a healthy diet.
I'll update on my research progress in a few weeks time. Finally, this week sees World Food Day 2020 on 16th October. Launched in 1945 by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, this annual event has a different food-related focus each year. For 2020, the theme is 'Grow, Nourish, Sustain, Together' and encourages us to 'build back better' after Covid. So this week, in addition to my Open Wings research, I'll also be promoting our food cooperative consultation.
What will you do for World Food Day this week?
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