Grow to Know: Cultivating Climate Champions

Aim

We’re raising funds to build a school greenhouse, empowering children to learn, grow, and take action for a more sustainable future.

Who are we, and what is our project about?

We are St Mary & St Joseph VC Academy PTA, a group of parents, carers, staff and friends united by one simple aim: to give our children the very best start. We’re a primary school community for children aged 3–11, and every fundraiser we run is rooted in the same belief - small opportunities, given early, can shape a child’s whole future.

This project is about creating one of those opportunities.

“Grow to Know: Cultivating Climate Champions” will turn an ordinary patch of our school grounds into something extraordinary: a greenhouse and outdoor learning space where children can get their hands in the soil, watch seedlings become food, learn how nature works, and discover that they can be part of the solution to climate change.

It fits the Climate Action funding criteria because it will help children move beyond “learning about” the environment to taking practical action - growing plants, supporting biodiversity, understanding seasons and weather patterns, and building sustainable habits that last a lifetime.

Why are we crowdfunding?

Picture a rainy Tuesday afternoon in East Yorkshire. Coats on, wellies squelching, and a class of excited children stepping into a warm, sheltered space full of green life, tiny leaves unfurling, tomato vines climbing, herbs releasing their scent as curious hands brush past. A child who once thought climate change was “too big” starts to understand something powerful:

Change begins with what we do—right here, right now.

We’re crowdfunding because we want to build a space where every child can experience that feeling of wonder, responsibility and hope.

We’re aiming to raise £10,000 to buy and install a durable, year-round greenhouse with an integrated storage area. The model we’ve chosen is designed for long-term outdoor use, with a sturdy aluminium frame and options for durable glazing such as toughened safety glass, exactly the sort of robust structure a school needs for frequent use and changing weather. 

This greenhouse won’t be a “nice extra.” It will be a living classroom that helps our children:

• Understand climate and nature through real experience (not just worksheets)
• Grow food from seed, learning where it comes from and why sustainable choices matter
• Support biodiversity by nurturing plants, pollinators and seasonal growing
• Build confidence and wellbeing through calm, purposeful outdoor activity
• Develop teamwork and responsibility by caring for something over time

For many children, school is where they first discover what they’re capable of. A greenhouse lets them practice patience, problem-solving and care and it gives them a hopeful story about the future: not one of fear, but one of agency.

How we’ll spend the money raised

We want to be completely transparent: every pound raised will go directly into creating a safe, long-lasting, practical learning environment.

Our target of £10,000 will be used for:

1) Greenhouse with integrated storage (core purchase)

We plan to purchase an aluminium greenhouse with built-in storage—chosen because it’s designed to be durable, weather-resistant, and suitable for long-term use, with features such as robust aluminium construction and quality glazing options. 

2) Delivery and installation

The supplier offers professional installation services and requires a solid, level foundation prepared in advance, important for safety and longevity. 

3) Groundworks and base preparation

To ensure the greenhouse is safe and fit for purpose in a school setting, we will prepare a level base (e.g., concrete/appropriate foundation), as recommended for stable installation. 

4) Set-up essentials (to make it immediately usable)

A modest allocation for the practical items that make the space usable from day one, such as:

• Child-safe hand tools
• Shelving / potting bench area
• Seeds, compost, planters
• Watering equipment
• Labels and simple learning resources

How you can help

1) Make a donation

Every contribution brings the greenhouse closer to reality, and early donations create momentum. Whether it’s £5 or £50, you’re helping to build a space where children learn that caring for the planet is something they can do, not just something they hear about.

2) Spread the word

Please share our project with friends, family, neighbours and colleagues. Crowdfunding succeeds when a community gets behind it, your share might be what inspires someone else to donate.

3) Volunteer with us 

If you’d like to help with time, skills, or expertise gardening knowledge, ground preparation, maintenance, running sessions with children, we’d love to hear from you.
Please get in touch via the project page using the subject:
“I want to volunteer my time or expertise.”

This is more than a greenhouse. It’s a message to our children:
You can grow things. You can care for things. You can change things.
And it starts with a seed.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 4th August 2026 at 4:56pm