Help us deliver transformational nature connection

Aim

We run fun, immersive programmes to get urban children into nature for health, happiness and to inspire a long term care of the environment.

Hello!

We are The Garden Classroom (TGC) an award winning charity based in North East London. We offer a wide range of transformational nature connection experiences to some of the most nature-deprived people in the UK, particularly children facing social and economic deprivation. We're thrilled to be part of the Aviva Save Our Wild Isles campaign which is very generously 2-1 match funded. This means for every £1 you donate we receive £3 support! 

Since 2008 our dedicated team has been: 

supporting parents and carers and encouraging outdoor and messy play through free and fun Little Explorers sessions for under 5s

teaching children outside of the classroom in hands-on and illuminating curriculum-linked lessons

inspiring a love of learning and of nature through weekly urban forest school sessions for class groups

building confidence, relationships and resilience in urban school children with life-changing countryside residentials

connecting over 55s through wellbeing walks and craft sessions for creativity, conversation and friendship

improving urban green spaces for us all to enjoy through community gardening projects

training adults in Forest School education, beekeeping and other outdoor skills so we can amplify the physical and mental health benefits that a connection with nature can bring

Watch a 4 minute video of our Wild Camping programme here:

Why we do what we do: 

1. An ever-growing body of evidence proves that spending time in nature is essential for physical and mental health, and yet people, especially children, are spending less time on average in nature than ever. At TGC we believe strongly that the people in our urban communities deserve the chance to experience the sense of wonder and amazement that one gets from the natural world. We tackle multiple, complex barriers for urban people getting outdoors and provide high-quality, fun experiences in an effort to rebalance the growing social and health inequity around access to nature. 

2. In 2019, 82.9% of England’s population lived in urban areas, a proportion that is trending ever upwards. Evidence shows that leisure time away from screens is diminishing across the population. It is vitally important that we proactively enable urban people to understand and connect with the natural world, not just for their own wellbeing, but crucially so they care about it and want to protect it. 

“No one will protect what they don’t care about, and no one will care about what they have never experienced.” Sir David Attenborough

Can you help up us turn grey into green? 

We're really excited to share our new adventure with you - Green Up Your Grounds is a year-round programme designed to breathe life into neglected school grounds. 

A TGC gardener, supported by a volunteer, will visit a school one day per week to reinvigorate neglected planters and garden areas, making the outdoor environment more nature-friendly, appealing and useful as:

-  A calming environment for 1-2-1 interventions
- An inspiring outdoor classroom for form groups
-  A serene staff space for breakout meetings

As part of this ongoing work, we will offer a weekly free to attend lunchtime or after school gardening club for a rotating group of children. Here, they’ll have the opportunity to get hands-on with looking after their shared garden; connecting with nature and taking pride in their collective efforts.

A nature based solution

Green Up Your Grounds is part of our new education programme Climate Change for Kids in which we inform and empower the next generation with vital information about sustainability and caring for the environment. Due to a change to statutory education, climate change will soon legally be required to be taught to all children in the UK. 

TGC believe the best way to deliver this learning is by doing what we do best - getting children outdoors in hands on, practical activities that support their wellbeing, directly benefit the natural environment, as well as bring the information to life. 

Funding raised through this campaign will support one pilot school in receiving Green Up Your Grounds alongside their Climate Change for Kids sessions. In time, we plan for this to be a service we can offer to many more schools as part of an holistic, long-term programme designed to get kids feeling curious about - and a sense of belonging in - the natural world. 

“We all know magic things happen when The Garden Classroom is around…” Abi Hopper, Head Teacher of Nightingale Primary School, Hackney

Thank you for taking the time to read about our work, we hope you will consider supporting us with a 2-1 match funded donation or by sharing our campaign!

Rewards

We are so grateful to Richard Skrein and Jane Smith for kindly donating their books and artworks to our Crowdfunder - take a look in the rewards section to find out more.

This project successfully funded on 15th May 2023