"HOEDoWN” 

The How On Earth Do We Nurture "HOEDoWN" Programme has been developed to focus on supporting the activities of the Youth Commission; the aim being to make the garden(s) available for community based projects, which the Youth Commission’s programmes, such as the Prince's Trust Team programme, the Hub and the island’s Youth Groups, can make use of.  HOEDoWN aims to offer basic education courses, tailored to ability, introducing young people to a wide range of gardening, horticultural and maintenance skills, providing an opportunity to develop an interest, understanding and skills that will ultimately raise confidence in ability and self-esteem.

A presentation of the ideas for the programme was given to the Youth Commission in July 2017 and an opportunity to roll out the first phase of the programme began in November 2017, as part of the Prince’s Trust Team 4 programme.  Whilst this initial part of the project is geared towards building, with the construction of a raised bed, it is actually the start of another ambitious project to design a gardening area that will be accessible for all, with raised beds built at a height that will give ease of access for people with disabilities. 

The whole Small Walled Garden project will be a collaboration between GBT, the Youth Commission, Youth Groups and Secondary Schools and will lead into the "SaGE" programme - Sow, Grow, Eat!  SaGE will aim to deliver training courses to young people who will have a dedicated raised bed to tend and grow vegetables, which they will be able to pick, cook and eat.  Similar courses have been successfully established in many parts of the globe and teach the importance of growing the type of plants and vegetables best suited for the climate of the location, as well as planning and planting in accordance with seasons.  Such courses dovetail nicely with other life skills, such as cooking, as well as encouraging individuals to develop their understanding of community, conservation and sustainability.