Reap what you sow with Leicester College

Leicester College will be showing people how to beat the credit crunch by turning to growing their own produce.

Fifty learners will be given the opportunity to try their hand at cultivating their own fruit and vegetables through the ‘Sow it Grow it Eat it’ project, thanks to £53,000 funding awarded from the Government’s new Transformation Fund for informal adult learning.

Learners will be taught how to sow and care for plants at the Aylestone Allotments and how to prepare and cook the produce they grow.  The same amount of seeds and plants will be given to the learners to plant at home to replicate what they have learnt on the allotment. 

Caz Bell, Programme Area Manager for Community Partnerships at Leicester College said: “Through the ‘Sow it Grow it Eat it’ project, we want to enthuse people about the idea of growing their own produce and show them the rewards to their well-being as well as on their pockets in doing so.  It is a great opportunity, especially in current times, to take part in a fun activity whilst learning how to be more economically sustainable.”

Claire Robinson, Transformation Fund Project Manager on behalf of the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE), said: “NIACE is very happy to be supporting the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in the management of the Transformation Fund to fulfil the recommendations of the Government’s Learning Revolution for informal adult learning.”

She continued, “The hundreds of bids we have received have displayed high standards of quality, highlighting the vast breadth of projects that are out there with an adult learning focus.   The innovative nature of the winning projects is sure to transform the way adults learn, improving well-being and building confidence along the way.  The projects have the potential to not only help individuals, but to benefit communities as well.”