David Domoney Cranberry Academy RHS

The Get Your Grown-ups Growing (GYGG) initiative has launched for the second year, and I’m delighted to be a part of it. This year I’m going to visit one of the events to meet the teachers, pupils and grown-ups.

I’m a proud supporter of the RHS Campaign for School Gardening, and I believe every child should have access to a garden. Read my article on the importance of gardening for children here.

What is GYGG?

Get Your Grown-ups Growing is a fantastic campaign to involve adults from the local community (including parents, carers, grandparents, friends) in the school garden. Grown-ups can help build new beds, sow seeds and plant bulbs, or even take part in fundraising events and fruit and veg tastings.

For schools that do not already have a school garden, extra help from the grown-ups could help to establish new gardening facilities.

How do I get involved?

The events are held in October, but schools can sign up now and start making plans. The RHS has 3000 GYGG packs to send out in September, including free seeds, stickers and posters. Register here.

I had great fun meeting staff and pupils at Cranberry Academy, who had won GYGG 2013. I presented them with their prize: a Hartley Botanic Wisley 8 greenhouse worth a whopping £4000. Another greenhouse is up for grabs for the best event this year too, so get planning now!

Last year over 1900 schools across the UK got their grown-ups growing. I hope even more schools (and grown-ups) will join in this year. Find out how to get involved here.