Spice it Up!

Do you want to grow your own herbs, salads, fruits and vegetables? 

 Women in Tower Hamlets are invited to join WEN’s exciting Spice It Up programme taking place from 15th September 2010 at the Ocean Somali Community Association in Mile End, east London. Further courses will be taking place in November and early 2011. Participants will receive: 

• Four weeks free training (six hours per week) in organic food growing skills, including an induction to Women’s Environmental Network, and visits to local gardening projects.
• A certificate of achievement, and a reference for future employers or training schemes once you have completed the programme.
• An opportunity to volunteer at local community gardens to put your new skills into practise, and a chance to become a Local Food Ambassador.
• A free food growing starter kit, including hand trowel and hand fork, seeds, gardening gloves, potting compost, and a container/window  box.
• Free lunch at the training sessions, and travel expenses for attendance of the training sessions/placements.
• Childcare can be provided or reasonable expenses reimbursed if arranged before hand. Call 020 7481 9004 or email: Kate Metcalf at food@wen.org.uk

You don’t need to have experience of food growing to join the programme:the only requirements are an interest in food growing, and regular attendance at the training sessions and your volunteer placements.  

Participants must contact WEN before hand to arrange booking as spaces are limited: Call the Local Food Team on 020 7481 9004 or complete the booking form and email to food@wen.org.uk.  Booking Form (.doc)

Local food project 

Women growing food together, 

Bringing life to inner-city plots 

sowing seeds

Twelve women from all walks of life took part in WEN’s first Spice It up training this June and July gaining four weeks’ free training in organic gardening, confidence and encouragement to take this  knowledge out into their communities.

Feedback from participants was over-whelmingly positive:

” I loved it! I learned so many things – from making nettle tea to permaculture.”

” It’s been great fun and knowledgable. I liked the tutors, the lunch and the conversation!”

” I loved visiting community gardens and meeting the other women.”

Over four weeks, we all bonded with each other, helped out with child-care and found that many course participants came with expertise and knowledge of their own, sometimes brought from as far afield as Guyana and Bangladesh. We all learned a lot on the course, including the WEN trainers!

eating together

All participants completing the four weeks received a Spice It Up training certificate, with an informal ceremony on the last day.

graduation ceremony

Spice It Up certificates

All women plan to either start growing organic food or expand on what they’re already doing.  Many hope to go on to volunteer at local community gardens in London, and will be supported in doing so by joining WEN’s peer support network.

And next year, many women expressed an interest in building on their training by progressing onto WEN’s Spice It Up Level 2 training in March next year.

We’ve used the feedback gained from this course to make the next one even better – for instance by including more practical ‘hands-on’ sessions.

Sign up now for the Next Level 1 Spice it Up! Training in September

If you like the sound of free organic food growing training and further support for you to get growing in your community, then sign up now for our next training intake. Get in touch with Kate Metcalf, Women’s Environmental Network, Ground Floor, 20 Club Row, London, E2 7EY (food@wen.org.uk). Or call the Local Food team on 020 7481 9004 to find out more.

Residents of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets raised £112 for WEN’s Local Food programme on Sunday 27 June at the annual Gawber Street Party. The party, organised by locals, included a raffle alongside a sunny evening of diverse food and music for all ages.

Organiser Guy Shennan said, ‘Every year we choose a local charity to which to donate the funds raised in our Street Party raffle. We recently found out about WEN, and we decided it would be a perfect choice as it is a Tower Hamlets based campaign which seeks to empower local women giving them awareness about environmental issues. This year we also had a theme for our donation: we wanted it to go to a community gardening or allotment project, so WEN’s Spice It Up! scheme was ideal.’

Thanks to all involved!

Spice it Up!

Do you want to grow your own herbs, salads, fruits and vegetables? 

 Women in Tower Hamlets, London and beyond are invited to join WEN’s exciting new Spice It Up programme beginning this summer.  Our first class is now full, but further classes will take place in September and November. Location East London. Participants will receive: 

• Four weeks free training (six hours per week) in organic food growing skills, including an induction to Women’s Environmental Network, and visits to local gardening projects.
• A certificate of achievement, and a reference for future employers or training schemes once you have completed the programme.
• An opportunity to volunteer at local community gardens to put your new skills into practise, and a chance to become a Local Food Ambassador.
• A free food growing starter kit, including hand trowel and hand fork, seeds, gardening gloves, potting compost, and a container/window  box.
• Free lunch at the training sessions, and travel expenses for attendance of the training sessions/placements.
• Childcare can be provided or reasonable expenses reimbursed if arranged before hand. Call 020 7481 9004 or email: Kate Metcalf at food@wen.org.uk

You don’t need to have experience of food growing to join the programme:the only requirements are an interest in food growing, and regular attendance at the training sessions and your volunteer placements.  

Participants must contact WEN before hand to arrange booking as spaces are limited: Call the Local Food Team on 020 7481 9004 or email Kate Metcalf on food@wen.org.uk.  Booking form here: Spice It Up Booking form  

Local food project 

Women growing food together, 

Bringing life to inner-city plots 

Don’t hide your light under a bushel! Some of our WEN members could well qualify for the SMK Campaigner awards, which are for individuals who are new to campaigning or operating with few resources and who show passion, tenacity and the potential to create change – locally, nationally or globally. You might not see yourself as a “campaigner” but if you are demonstrating commitment to a cause then SMK wants to hear from you.

The awards scheme offers a development package to winners, the aim is to equip campaigners with the skills they need to make a greater impact and achieve real change.The package of support does not include cash prizes but uses a model of action learning to share knowledge and acquire skills. This programme is completely bespoke involving an initial assessment; one-to-one coaching sessions; development workshops; and shadowing or mentoring opportunities.

Apply now or nominate a campaigner you know!  www.smk.org.uk/smk-awards-2010

Deadline: 28 June 2010

Banana and honey facemasks were on the menu, as well as an introduction to home composting, and a visit to the Ocean Somali women’s gardening space.

Visit the Community Composting Network for more information about Compost Awareness Week (2-8 May), and events taking place in your area.

Visit www.fawecettsociety.org.uk/whataboutwomen for more information about the questions, what the parties are saying and how to get involved.  The more organisations and individuals that ask the question the higher up the political agenda women will get.

Wednesday 24 March, 10.15am-2pm

St. Hildas East Community Centre, 62 Old Nichol Street, Shoreditch, London, E1 7EY

A free, participatory workshop on the impacts of climate change on women in the UK and internationally.  Come and find out how women are being affected differently and more acutely than men and why it is vital to include women in the solutions to tackling climate change.  The workshop will include a fruity beauty demonstration and a delicious multicultural sustainable lunch.

For bookings or more information please contact: Kate Metcalf  E: climatechange@wen.org.uk T: 020 7481 9004

Please give him and WEN your support.
Visit http://www.justgiving.com/bryan-bartlett1

Local Tower Hamlets residents celebrated International Women’s Week on 9th March with a series of workshops on food and food-growing, climate change and creative banner-making. The event, hosted by Zaccheus Project and Women’s Environmental Network highlighted the need to strengthen women’s voices in environmental decision-making.

Research has found that women are disproportionately more affected by climate change, yet due to lack of women in policy-making positions, women are are not fully represented when it comes to making big decisions about climate change mitigation.
The event demonstrated positive practical actions women and families can take around food growing, as well as showcasing what women in the community are already doing to reduce their carbon footprints. There was a tour of the new community garden, seed sowing, and a shared multicultural feast.